WINTER 2019 ISSUE 116 LIVE BETTER. SAVE MORE. INVEST WISELY. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. GREEN GREENAMERICA.ORG AMERICAN Unraveling the Fashion Industry It’s easy to ignore the huge influence garments have on workers and the planet. Luckily, activists and businesses are working to make the fashion industry better. If you wear clothes, you can too. ARE THESE TRENDS WORKER- FROM FAST WHAT HAPPENS GREEN OR APPROVED SOCIAL TO FAIR TO UNWANTED GREENWASHED? p. 10 RESPONSIBILITY p. 20 FASHION p. 24 CLOTHES? p. 27 VisionCapital ColorLogo Ad 3/29/06 9:29 PM Page 1 FREE IS YOUR YOUR MONEY VALUES BIG GAP IN BETWEEN? GOOD YOU CAN BRIDGE THE GAP with ▲▲▲▲▲▲ Individualized Portfolios Customized Social Criteria High Positive Social Impact Competitive Financial Returns Personalized Service Fossil Free Portfolios. 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Green American #116 l Copyright 2019 D I often invoke this sage advice as I COMMUNICATIONS & GREEN AMERICA CENTER FOR speak around the country about our food PUBLICATIONS SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS EDITOR Eleanor Greene DIRECTOR Erin Gorman system. As people learn about the climatic, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sytonia Reid SR. FELLOW, environmental, and human health impacts EDITORIAL FELLOW Mary Meade STRATEGY & TRAINING EDITORIAL INTERN Asher Weinstein Krista Kurth, Ph.D of the industrial agriculture system, they get PROOFREADER Rob Hanson SENIOR FELLOW, STRATEGIC DESIGN & FACILITATION worried. Then they want to learn about how to TEMPLATE DESIGN Tania Kac Russ Gaskin PUBLICATION DESIGN stay healthy and be part of the solution. Clean Electronics Production Network Dennis Greenia, Eleanor Greene DIRECTOR Pamela Brody-Heine So be both warned and assured. As you turn ALISA DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Shireen Karimi PROGRAM MANAGER Emma Kriss the pages of this issue and learn about the GRAVITZ DIGITAL DESIGN & Sustainable Food & Ag Programs toxic industrial fashion industry, you might COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST SENIOR DIRECTOR, Climate and Alec Badalov Agriculture Networks get concerned. But don’t despair, within these pages we also EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Sarah Andrysiak provide you with lots of ideas for making choices about clothes Devra Davis, Ph.D: Environmental PROGRAMS MANAGER Charis Smith Health Trust • Clair Farley: Office of DIRECTOR, Carbon Farming that are healthy for you, workers, and the planet. Trans Initiatives, City & County of San Innovation Network Nana Firman: Francisco Global Muslim Mary Johnson Toxic industrial systems—food, energy, clothes, you name Climate Network • Catherine Coleman MANAGER, Regenerative Flowers: The Center for Earth Ethics/ it—provide cheap products at tremendous climatic, environ- Supply Working Group & Regional Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise, Regen Working Group mental, and human health costs. But since these toxic products CDC • Jacqueline Patterson: NAACP Jessica Hulse Dillon Environmental and Climate Justice are inexpensive, people often ask us: How can I afford things Program • Catherine Plume: (r)evolve DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS • Tracy Fernandez Rysavy: formerly that are healthy and safe? of Green America• Vincent Schilling: DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT & Indian Country Media Network ORGANIZATIONAL ADVANCEMENT When it comes to what you wear, here’s how to make sure you Kathy Harget can afford organic and fair trade for your closet: EXECUTIVE TEAM DEVELOPMENT MANAGER CEO/PRESIDENT Alisa Gravitz Kristin Brower o Buy less. If it doesn’t pass the “I’ll be loving it for many EXECUTIVE CO-DIRECTOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER Business, Investing, & Policy Christy Schwengel years test,” don’t buy it. Fran Teplitz o Mend, repurpose, and accessorize. Small fixes can make a EXECUTIVE CO-DIRECTOR MEMBERSHIP MARKETING Consumer & Corporate Engagement DIVISION DIRECTOR OF great new look—or make the clothes fit perfectly again. Todd Larsen MEMBERSHIP MARKETING o Prioritize used. There are great finds at thrift and con- EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Dana Christianson Davina Etwaroo MEMBERSHIP MARKETING signment stores, local and online. Or try borrowing from a MANAGER Rob Hanson CORPORATE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES ASSISTANT friend or hosting a clothing swap. The compliments I get RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMS Mark Rakhmilevich DIVISION DIRECTOR Todd Larsen on my finds make my day. DONOR SERVICES, OPERATIONS, CLIMATE CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR & DATABASE MANAGER o Skip the dry cleaning—and another dose of chemicals, Beth Porter Stephanie Demarest CLIMATE FELLOW Ayate Temsamani even on secondhand items. People spend more for dry FOOD CAMPAIGNS DIRECTOR ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS cleaning a garment over its life than its original cost. If Jillian Semaan DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Bob Bulik FOOD CAMPAIGNS MANAGER ACCOUNTANT Michael Young you already have clothes that “require” dry cleaning, Jes Walton HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR hand-washing or spot-treating at home will rarely do FOOD CAMPAIGNS FELLOW Dennis Greenia Kevin Fitzpatrick DATA ENTRY SPECIALIST & DEPOSIT harm to the garments. CLERK Deanna Tilden LABOR JUSTICE CAMPAIGNS I promise that anyone can cut their clothing budget and MANAGER Charlotte Tate FOUNDER/PRESIDENT EMERITUS Paul Freundlich look better than ever with these tips. After I went down the GREEN BUSINESS NETWORK® DIVISION DIRECTOR Fran Teplitz BOARD OF DIRECTORS non-toxic clothing path, people started asking me for fashion MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING Danielle Burns, Joanne Dowdell, MANAGER Scott Kitson advice—even my stylish nieces. Monica Flores, Paul Freundlich, MEMBER SERVICES ASSISTANT Alisa Gravitz, Shireen Karimi, Most importantly, you’ll be providing market pressure for the Mark Rakhmilevich Scott Kitson, Julie Lineberger, CERTIFICATION MANAGER Jeff Marcous, Deborah Momsen-Hudson, companies in the toxic industrial clothing system to clean up Abigail Rome Sara Newmark, Adam Ortiz, their acts. NETWORK FELLOW Mary Meade Deepak Panjwani, Meredith Sheperd In this case, don’t panic—take the non-toxic clothing path. GREEN CONSUMER MOBILIZATION & TECHNOLOGY Cover image: Start with the holidays and make it your New Year’s resolution. IT & FACILITIES MANAGER Pat Keyes Dominique Drakeford You’ll look and feel great—and so will your wallet! IT FELLOW George Millican by Timothy Smith. CONTACT US AT: 800/58-GREEN • fax 202/331-8166 • GreenAmerica.org • [email protected] For the future, Your Green Life: Powered by Green America and Green American magazine (ISSN: 0885-9930) are free with Green America Individual Membership (starting at $20/year) or Green Business Network® Membership (starting at $130/year). For address changes or individual membership information use the above contact information. For Green Business Network information, email [email protected], call 202/872-5357, or visit greenbusinessnetwork.org. For article reprints, call 202/872-5307 or email [email protected]. P.S. Thanks to you, we’ve got lots of big victories this year to Pinterest.com/greenamerica Instagram.com/GreenAmerica_ celebrate for people and the planet. Check out these highlights Facebook.com/GreenAmerica Twitter.com/GreenAmerica and our big plans for next year on page six. Printed on 100% de-inked recycled fiber, elemental chlorine-free. m Designates a certified member of Green America’s Green Business Network® 3 ECO ACTIONS THE SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME The Green Economy Grows to $1.3 Trillion A couple of examples of the green economy at work: At left, the solar energy sector continues to grow, about 50 percent each year since 2009, according to the Solar Energy Industry Association. At right, Green Business Network member Susan Welsand celebrates 27 years of running her business The Chile Woman m, which is also a People and Planet award winner (see p. 29). The green economy has been driving increase as the sector booms. gather their own data based on private growth and job creation for years, despite A flourishing green economy also databases using real-world business and flying under the GDP radar. A new crosses party lines since most congres- transaction statistics. Their research, analysis shows that if the US wants to be sional districts supporting some form of published in October 2019, identified competitive with international economies clean energy projects are GOP-voting, as nearly 9.5 million Americans employed and stimulate job growth, it must tackle identified by the American Wind Energy in the green economy, generating $1.31 the climate crisis and clean the environ- Association. We dove deeper into these trillion per year. ment, according to researchers from the jobs in our Summer 2019 “Green Econo- The research also predicts growth in the University College London. my at Work”