Anvil knitwear and Carbonrally.com have teamed up to launch the Fashion Swap Challenge, an interactive online campaign to promote the sustainable practice of trading used clothing among friends.  The Fashion Swap Challenge is one of several Anvil Knitwear initiatives to motivate environmental activism in 2010.  Anvil is the official apparel partner of Earth Day Network and is a sponsor of Earth Day NY’s I am E campaign.  Anvil has also developed www.trackmyt.com, and interactive website designed to educate consumers about carbon footprint of their clothing.To find out more visit www.carbonrally.com 

Green Gone Wrong by Heather Rogers - An insightful look into investigating how our economy is undermining the environmental revolution.Buy a copy from amazon today!

UK Aware is the UK’s leading green and ethical lifestyle show. Taking place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th April and expecting over 10,000 visitors, UK AWARE 2010 offers consumers a ‘one stop shop’ for sustainable living as it’s this country’s largest green and ethical lifestyle expo showcasing eco and ethical products and services for the general public.Attractions include: Over 50 world class guest speakers, over 100 exhibitors, Green Business Start Up Surgeries, The Ultimate Clothes Swapping Party, Kids Interactive area and much more!To pick up discounted tickets to this event please click here 

The Soil Associations annual organic fortnight is going to be held this year from 3rd-17th September 2010.  It is a celebration of all things organic.  There will be lots of enjoyable things to get involved with, along with the ever popular Organic Food Festival, a highlight of the fortnight and will be held over the weekend of the 11th/12th September at the Harbourside.  The fair is in its 10th year and celebrates the full spectrum of organic fare with hundreds of stalls selling delicious food and drink, organic clothes and beauty products.

About DIY coutureLondon based Rosie Martin runs DIY couture, picture books that help people make clothes from scratch.The books remove the need for complex sewing patterns so that learning to make clothes is easy and accessible to all - even extremely inexperienced sewers.DIY couture has a number of aims -1. To stimulate enthusiasm for sewing in generations x, y and z2. To enable people to access affordable clothing that has not been produced using sweatshop labour.3. To empower people to create for themselves to a high-standard, enabling them to opt out of brand culture.4. To build empathy with the invisible hands around the world that spend their time skilfully creating the clothes we wear.5. To inspire people to slow down - to take the time to make a garment that is precious and long-lasting, rather than to comfort-shop for disposable items which add to the world’s increasing piles of landfill. http://www.diy-couture.co.uk/howtomakeapleatedskirt.html

Findings from the Carbon Trust report March 2010.Consumers are more carbon conscious than ever but with research showing that the UK’s carbon footprint is 34% higher when measured by consumption it is vital businesses help their customers make positive choices.Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust looks at how product carbon footprinting and labelling can help drive change.Many of the goods we buy and consume are imported from overseas, and measuring the UK’s carbon footprint by consumption rather than production - which includes the carbon emissions associated with the manufacture and transportation of these products - increases it by 34%.  Managing these ‘outsourced’ emissions has major implications for climate change policy, both internationally and domestically, but we should not underestimate the power of business and consumers to bring about change.Copenhagen has shown that we cannot and should not rely solely on governments to drive action to reduce global carbon emissions.  Leading global brands must take responsibility for decarbonising their own products by removing carbon from their supply chains.  In return for business action consumers must reward brands that produce low carbon products with their ‘low-carbon loyalty’ to drive increased demand.We know consumer appetite is strong - research carried out by the Carbon Trust earlier this year showed that 86% of consumers want their favourite brands to help combat the threat of climate change by reducing their carbon footprint and almost half are actively seeking information about the carbon impact of the products they buy.However consumers need help to turn goodwill into long term action and behaviour change.  Many people are uncertain about their own impacts and the steps they can take to deliver the greatest carbon reductions.  They lack consistent, credible information to enable them to make positive choices.Product carbon footprinting and labelling is a tool to deliver this, building understanding of the full carbon impact of consumption choices in everyday life.  It empowers businesses to manage the carbon footprint and energy costs of their supply chains and gives consumers the information to reduce their carbon footprint.Three years ago the Carbon Trust laid the foundations for a product footprinting methodology.  Published in October 2008 jointly with Defra and BSI British Foundation, PAS 2050 is the first international standard for companies to measure the carbon footprint of their products and services.Now the Carbon Trust Footprinting Company helps companies measure, reduce and communicate the lifecycle emissions of their products at every step of the supply chain, creating valuable energy and cost saving opportunities.It awards the Carbon Reduction Label to products that comply with the PAS 2050, the code of good practice and the certification requirements of Footprint ExpertTM to ensure consistency and maximise comparability in certified product carbon footprints.The Carbon Reduction Label currently appears on the products worth £2.7 billion in annual sales, including Morphy Richards Irons, Kingsmill Bread, Walkers Crisps, Tate & Lyle sugar, Silver Spoon sugar and Tesco milk, orange juice, lightbulbs and washing detergents.To find out more about the Carbon Reduction Label and how to start measuring the carbon footprinting of your products visit www.carbon-label.com

This year’s report - the most comprehensive look at UK organic industry trends, shows UK organic sales fell by 12.9% in 2009 to 1.84 billion. The report also confirms that in line with other retail sectors, shopper spent less on organic food in the recession.  In addition, leading retailers reduced organic ranges and shelf space, which created a further challenge for sales or organic products.However, 2010 promises to have a more positive outlook with over 60% of the biggest organic brands planning for growth.Click here to download the report, which was launched today at the Natural and Organic Products Show, Olympia.

Perhaps no industry depends more on unsustainable and environmentally hazardous chemicals than the clothing trade. Growing cotton consumes vast quantities of chemical fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Synthetic textiles such as polyester come from petrochemicals.

Dyeing both synthetic and natural fibres requires an intense chemical cocktail: giving denim jeans their typical indigo colour, for example, requires use of large quantities of sodium hydrosulphite, an environmentally antagonistic chemical that can corrode cement and damage sewage pipes. That cocktail is chased down by millions of litres of rinse water at factories that are often located in areas of the world, such as parts of India, where water is already scarce.

With such problems in mind, NatureWorks is investigating the use of its corn-based Ingeo polymer to make fibres that can be woven into a textile. Unfortunately, the end product has a tendency to melt when ironed, and it is also several times the price of polyester. The Italian fashion house Gattinoni has used it to make a “bio” wedding dress, but it appears to be a long way from regular commercial production. A polymer called Sorona, made by US chemical giant DuPont, also uses corn as the source for part of its raw material - though more than 60 per cent is still derived from petroleum.

If the wooden look is more your style, bamboo, beech and eucalyptus are renewably sourced textile fibres. Bamboo can grow nearly anywhere without pesticides or herbicides, and has already been used in T-shirts, ski boots and a variety of other clothing items. In one respect, however, it is no green dream: it cannot be broken down into fibres for clothing without the use of hazardous chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and carbon disulphide.

A better bet might be Tencel, a wood-derived, viscose-like fabric made by the Austria-based manufacturer Lenzing in a process that uses a less corrosive solvent, N-methylmopholine oxide, than normal viscose production and recycles 99.6 per cent of it each time, dramatically reducing waste. Tencel has been used for items as diverse as chefs’ outfits and surgical garments, but it is several times the price of viscose. Truly green and affordable clothes are a way off yet.

Source: New Scientist Magazine, Sarah Everts. 

While consumers are more likely to “go green” on the high street where they can be seen making altruistic choices, the privacy of online shopping brings out an entirely different behaviour.

When people are not being watched by their peers they are more willing to shun the ethical products in favour of comfort and convenience, the report says.

The habit has been studied by Vladas Griskevicius, of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, who found eco-friendly shopping decisions are not always motivated by a social conscious.

He discovered that people were more likely to buy energy efficient light bulbs from the shops, but tended to opt for the old-fashioned type online.

The same trend was also found when people purchased white goods, electronics and even domestic cleaning products over the internet.

“Many green purchases are rooted in the evolutionary idea of competitive altruism, the notion that people compete for status by trying to appear more altruistic,” he said.

In the paper “Going Green to Be Seen: Status, Reputation, and Conspicuous Conservation”, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the authors found that people would only forego luxury when others could see it.

Mr Griskevicius picks out the Toyota Prius car as a prime example. Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz have been photographed behind the wheel of a Prius, despite being well able to afford a more powerful and expensive car, sending the message that they are concerned for the environment.

“A reputation for being a caring individual gives you status and prestige. When you publicly display your environmentally friendly nature, you send the signal that you care,” said the report.

The study also showed that people were often more willing to buy green products when they were the most expensive option, because it showed they could afford to be caring.

An example is paying for canvas tote bags to take to the supermarket, rather than relying on the free but environmentally dubious plastic variety.

“People want to be seen as being altruistic. Nothing communicates that better than by buying green products that often cost more and are of lower quality but benefit the environment for everyone,” Mr Griskevicius said.

* The green choice: high street vs online

While shoppers are more likely to buy environmentally friendly products on the high street where they can be seen to make the selfless choice, but behind closed doors it is a different matter.

Groceries – In the supermarket shoppers may be drawn to organic vegetables that are grown without chemical pesticides and are considered better for the environment. However, doing an online shop the cheaper option may seem more attractive.

Nappies – Some mothers feel under pressure to buy cloth nappies for their babies rather than contribute to landfill sites with the disposable kind. However, over the internet they may be tempted to stick with convenience.

Televisions – When buying televisions online shoppers tend to opt for the best bargain. However, when faced with energy efficiency labels in store, they may be persuaded to go for the greener option.

Source: The Telegraph, 17th March 2010

Students who want to know more about working conditions in garment manufacture have the chance to learn more during the Placement Training hosted by Fashioning an Ethical Industry.  The training gives all the ins and outs on ethical issues whether it concerns a placement at a high-street chain or small company.  Through the training, students will gain a deeper understanding of issues faced by garment workers and efforts being made to improve conditions.  The training is taking place on 28th April in London and is open to any students.Fashioning an Ethical Industry is a Labour Behind the Label project that works with students and tutors on fashion related courses.  To find out more visit http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/home/