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Open Inquiry Night:                                                  Why We Opted Out Of Polyester

3/27/2018

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Clothing Matters hosted a group of people who gathered to discuss issues and opportunities associated with current clothing consumption trends and micro-plastic pollution in our Great Lakes, rivers & oceans. Turmeric & ginger tea from Global Infusion set the tone for discussion and engaging exercises using Interplay to develop personal context for what sustainability is and can be.

Though pitched as sustainable, recycled polyester is unfortunately part of the problem for many reasons, including the fact that laundering your polyester clothing is a significant source of micro-fiber pollution in our own Great Lakes and rivers. Tiny particles of polyester attract a multitude of toxic substances in the environment and are consumed by fish and other organisms who mistake them for food. The entire food chain is affected in ways few realize. Polyester is plastic, petroleum-based, and has toxic impacts throughout all trophic levels. Please take 2.5 minutes to watch this critical and well-informed video: The Story of Polyester

We all became more informed and empowered to make choices that prevent pollution and improve health. Participants used colorful designs to express ideas about how our sense of self and community influences our capacity to be part of the solution. 

Before you buy another fleece or piece of polyester, consider the difference between what you really need and what you want. Our evening provided a delightful opportunity to leverage our creative capacity and shed light on human inventiveness and connectedness. Our Interplay designs explored intersections between who we are and what we can do to reduce apparel’s impact on our health and the environment.
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Proud Sponsors of WMEAC's 2018 Women & the Environment Symposium

3/27/2018

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Clothing Matters has proudly partnered with the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) as sponsors of Women & the Environment Symposiums since the first one in 2012.  This year, a series of events took place for ten days in February, celebrating how women effectively advocate for themselves, for others, and for the environment. We were glad that apparel's impact on our personal and ecological health was included in the list of issues addressed at the symposium's Advocacy Workshop, and grateful for the opportunity to facilitate thoughtful discussion regarding how our clothing choices impact ecosystems of the world including our own Great Lakes and rivers.
Clothing Matters debuted our new sustainably manufactured "advocacy T-shirts", to support efforts that raise awareness of apparel as the 2nd biggest polluter of our world's waters and the 2nd most toxic industry after petroleum. Participants considered what a t-shirt can do and be, while not contributing to laundering polyester as a significant source of micro-plastic pollution in our Great Lakes, or causing 1/3 lb of insecticide from polluting 700 gallons of water just to grow one conventional t-shirt.
We were really impressed by those who came out to learn and take action on important issues, and especially encouraged by the amount of interest in how apparel choices impact health & well-being. It was a dynamic evening of awareness and empowerment. We were (and still are) elated to support and be a part of such a dynamic, empowering event.  Advocacy workshop participants received one of Clothing Matters' premium tees, branded with the invitation to "feel good in & about what you wear."
WMEAC was founded by a diverse group of concerned citizens and organizational stakeholders, WMEAC is a non-profit organization uniquely positioned to respond to emerging issues and new threats to West Michigan’s natural and human ecologies, focused on Building Sustainable Communities and Protecting Water Resources (WMEAC, 2017).



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In Honor of World Water Day - March 22, 2018

3/22/2018

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Today and every day we help people protect our world's precious water. In celebration of World Water Day, we thank our LogoWear partners who have prevented over 11,240 lbs of pesticides from polluting 24,521,564 gallons of water. Before you buy another t-shirt, please learn more.. Cotton is the most world's most heavily treated crop. Polyester is a primary source of micro-plastic pollution in our Great Lakes, rivers, and oceans. 
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Fashion at the Crossroads - Greenpeace Report

3/2/2018

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​“As fashion cycles become increasingly fast paced, some sectors of the fashion industry have adopted increasingly unsustainable production techniques to keep up with demand and increase profit margins” (Cobbing & Vicaire, 2017, p. 26). 
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​Cobbing, M., & Vicaire, Y. (2017). Fashion at the Crossroads. Greenpeace International,
1-108.
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Creating Partnership that Includes Clothing in Sustainability Conversations & Metrics

2/16/2018

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​​We applaud #MittenBrewingCo as GRR's first brewery to choose sustainable shirts for their brand!! These are 100% organic cotton--NO plastic/polyester! The Mitten's order of 50 shirts prevented 16.5 pounds of insecticide from polluting over 35,000 gallons of water compared to conventional cotton--1/3 pound pollutes 700 gallons just to grow 1 non-organic T-shirt AND avoids use of polyester, the laundering of which is a significant source of micro-plastic pollution in our Great Lakes & rivers. Thank you for you choosing Clothing Matters' logowear line for your worthy pursuit. 
PC: McA Media
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With Deep, Lifelong Respect and Appreciation...

1/15/2018

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We thank those who respect life, who understand the interdependent nature of our world, the great value of diversity, and need for equal opportunity. When I was in the  5th grade, we had the opportunity to research and write an eight page report on whomever we wished.
I chose The Honorable Reverand Dr MLK JR., delving passionately into the project with great respect for this person I saw as a hero, contacting Coretta King and burning the midnight oil learning about his life/work. His life committed to social justice impressed and inspired me to my core.
His message resonates, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” 
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My report was 39 pages; my appreciation and admiration for him continues to grow.
Look into King as leader of environmental equity and ecological thinker.
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There’s a good chance your holiday returns will end up in a landfill.

1/5/2018

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"Each year, consumers return about $380 billion worth of goods — $90 billion of which are processed during the holiday." according to Optoro, a tech company that helps major retailers manage their returns. 

Representatives from Optoro also state that "5 billion pounds of returned items end up in the trash heap. Moreover, only half of returns make it back onto shelves, the company estimates. The rest, due to circumstances such as damages or opened boxes, take a different path" (Posted: 9:44 AM, December 26, 2017, By: CNN WIRE). 

For the full article, click here.
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The Fast World of Fast Fashion

12/17/2017

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An NPR Series explores the inner-workings of the fast fashion industry, shedding light on the social and environmental consequences that follow. Click here to listen and read. 
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Fashion Industry Report: One Truckload of Clothing Is Wasted Per Second

12/15/2017

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​According to a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry's current "take-make-dispose" system creates greenhouse gas emissions of 1.2 billion tonnes a year—that's "more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined." Click here to read more. 
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PRI: Across Women's Lives - Wear and Tear Series

12/10/2017

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Scholars of various persuasions are challenging fast fashion's impact on our planet, unpacking the socio-cultural & environmental implications that follow an inherently unsustainable industry. Across Women’s Lives: Wear and Tear Series works to expose the unjust and oppressive work conditions many women face within the garment industry. Click here to read/listen.  
Facebook for PRI: Across Women's Lives

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  • Home
  • For Your Logo
    • Hats & Totes
    • More Options
  • Our Venture
    • Services We Offer >
      • Private Parties
      • Interplay
    • Sustainable Practices
    • Customer Testimonials
    • Contributions to the Community
    • FAQ
  • Be Empowered
    • Knowledge is Power >
      • Critical Viewing
      • Critical Reading
    • Recognized Efforts
  • Gallery
    • Community of Eco-Models
    • Vintagen Collection