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How green is my clothing?

Last update: April 8, 2009 - 1:43 PM

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How green is my clothing?

Let's state the not-so-obvious. It's always greener to buy used or not at all, so first consider if an item can be repaired, embellished or remade into a "new" garment. Consider shopping in consignment or thrift shops. When buying new, keep your eyes on the prize at the checkout, too. Tell the salesperson to skip the tissue (used to wrap clothing at better stores) and bring your own reusable shopping bag. Finally, 75 percent of the energy consumption in apparel is not in its manufacture or distribution but in the laundry room, so check the consumer care tips below.

Design

• What is the desired performance of the item?

• How durable is the item? The goal is 10 years or longer (underwear being an exception).

• Is the style/color too trendy to last longer than one or two seasons?

Materials

• Is the item made from natural materials such as organic cotton, wool, hemp, Tencel/rayon (made from wood pulp), soy or corn?

• Is the material made from virgin scraps (wool, cashmere) or from recycled materials?

• If the material is synthetic, is it from recycled materials? What percent?

• Was natural or synthetic dye used?

• If natural dye, will the color fade quickly in the wash?

• If synthetic, did the dye include any harmful heavy metals such as chrome?

• If organic cotton, does the label state "100 percent certified organic" or just "made with organic cotton"?

Production

• Did the product have to be shipped a long distance from its manufacturing origin?

• If shipped overseas, are the country's fabric origin and the manufacturing origin close to each other?

• Is the product made locally or in the United States?

• Does the product keep packaging and labels to a minimum? Green companies often put extensive information on their websites.

Distribution

• Are mail orders shipped in eco-friendly materials?

• Do big-box retailers transfer items several times from distribution centers and then from store to store for consolidation and sales?

Consumer care

• Avoid buying "dry clean only" clothing when possible.

• Buy a front-load washing machine (uses less water and energy).

• Use the cold-wash setting when possible.

• Use biodegradable detergent but skip the ineffective washballs and laundry discs.

• Air-dry on a clothesline or machine-dry for 20 minutes and then hang in the house to dry.

• Use roll-on stain removers (less waste).

• Wear clothes more than once before washing.

The end

• Donate to a thrift shop if in fair condition or better. Eureka Recycling will take clean, reusable clothing at curbside in St. Paul and some eastern suburbs.

• Sell in a consignment store if good or "like new" condition.

• Recycle it if possible (Patagonia recycles polar fleece).

• Wipers Recycling LLC in St. Paul Park will take any unwanted clothing or shoes. Go to www.wipersrecycling.com (click on "about us") or call 651-222-7247. U'SAgain accepts unwanted textiles, including clothing. Call 651-639-0012 or 612-789-0672 or go online to www.usagain.com.

JOHN EWOLDT