What if, this year for Christmas, you offered clothes and/or accessories with an additional message? That of eco-responsible manufacturing . The choice is vast. Here are a few ideas to give you some ideas.
Who still doesn't know that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world? But there you have it, a fashion gift can't be replaced. So, we choose a chic product with a minimum impact on the environment. A fashion and clean gift . If the AGEC law (Anti-Waste and for the Circular Economy) wants to accelerate the change in production and consumption model to reduce waste and preserve natural resources, biodiversity and the climate , many initiatives have already been taken by companies , often French. Christmas is the ideal time to support them.
A word of advice: take your time before buying, look at the labels and find out about the origin of the materials , the method and places of manufacture.
An upcycled gift
Upcycling , a technique for reusing materials that appeared in 1994, has been enjoying growing success with consumers ever since. Now, we are trying to avoid throwing away by recovering and recycling materials to make new parts. While upcycling prevents waste from ending up in landfills, it also reduces air, water and soil pollution. In some cases, this process is part of a real virtuous circle with short circuit processes, reindustrialization, relocation and the preservation of real know-how. For example:
An elegant computer case
Saint-Lazare , a leather goods brand, is working hard to divert raw materials and accessories from end-of-life vehicles (e.g. seat belts) to recycle them and make pouches, card holders and bags. This start-up employs people made vulnerable by disabilities (ESAT) and works with local partnerships. The products are packaged in pouches made from waste, from the recycling of plastic bottles. Finally, it ensures the delivery of orders by bike or on foot, for a neutral carbon footprint. Remember: this computer pouch made in France is made from recycled car materials , but also from felt scraps that come from the inside of TGV trains .
A travel bag for setting sail
727 Sailbags has chosen to recycle old boat sails recovered from sailmakers and sailors. The products, which comply with Oeko-Tex standards, are manufactured according to certificates of conformity to environmental standards. A certificate indicates the life of the sail used, the part number and the number of products made with this same sail. The plus: you can choose a specific recycled sail to make the bag to offer. A great idea to set your sights on ecology.
Photo © Sailsbags
Solidarity socks
A wink gift for everyone, socks. But not just any socks, these have a very special story. Chaussettes Orphelines recycles old socks after collecting them (they can be dropped off at different depots or sent to the association), and unknitted to recover the fibers. Chaussettes Orphelines are then made from these different threads. But this concept is also a model of circular economy. Chaussettes Orphelines runs textile and creative techniques workshops for women in accommodation and social integration centers, and for underprivileged children to develop their dexterity. The socks are sorted in a socio-professional integration center. And the recycled socks purchased on the site are accompanied by a prepaid return label to send 500 grams of socks free of charge. A good idea when you know that 1 kg of recycled socks is 25 kg of CO2 and that it takes 1350 liters of water to make a pair of 60 gr cotton. Store: 2 rue des gardes, 75018 Paris.
Photo © Orphan Socks
Ethical sneakers
Sneakers, a real social phenomenon, represent one in two purchases in France in the shoe category. The problem? The manufacturing is not at all eco-friendly. But alongside the big brands that are making efforts, more than 150 eco-responsible brands have been created in France to offer more ethical models. Two French brands OTA (On The Asphalt) and Basus, one specializing in wear-resistant soles made from recycled tires and the other in the manufacture of clothing made from natural and recycled materials, especially cork with local and on-demand collections, have come together. They have made a pair of sneakers in cork leather and recycled tires with the Leather Working Group label, an organization that ensures compliance with environmental standards in the leather industry. The laces are made from recycled plastic.
Photo © Basus
An essential but more respectful gift
Jeans and T-shirts, iconic and essential pieces, are water guzzlers, spreaders of toxic products, and do not respect the rights of workers, who are often children. While cleaner initiatives are starting to be implemented, they still represent a tiny part of the global market. Offer a pair of cleaner jeans and/or T-shirts to support them and highlight your commitment.
Cleaner jeans
Cotton growing, spinning, weaving, dyeing, washing, mind-boggling life cycle, the production of a single pair of jeans is an environmental disaster. Imagine that a single pair can travel up to 65,000 km with 20 to 40 kg of CO2 emissions. Three recent initiatives:
- Chevrons , a young French company, sources the most natural and responsible raw materials to manufacture its Eco Denim jeans and jackets. As proof, the brand has completed a single tour of France, all transport included. The company uses 60% recycled cotton and 40% GOTS-certified organic cotton and saves 80% water compared to a classic pair of jeans. 97% of the final price of this made in France purchase goes back to the French economy and 150 jeans sold finance an annual job in our territory. And you can participate by giving your opinion on the next creations.
- Even less greedy with 90% water saved and manufactured without chemicals with laser fading technology, Ace Denim jeans. The brand opposes the rhythm of traditional collections and offers a single model with a unique cut in a limited quantity of 700 pieces.
- Note that the Lee brand offers the 100% recyclable gold & bronze jeans certified Cradle to Cradle in collaboration with Artistic Milliners, a leading organization in the transformation of fashion. This production involves quality of materials and reuse, renewable energy, carbon and water management, and social justice. These jeans are made of organic cotton, with 58% less water, in a factory that produces solar energy.
A more respectable t-shirt
Cotton, which provides a quarter of the raw materials used in textiles, is a disaster for the environmental impact. This explains the birth of organic cotton in 2005 by the Max Havelaar association, which avoids the depletion of the earth due to this intensive cultivation. To be favored, linen , which is a biodegradable material that requires little water to grow, or the more virtuous Tencel. And above all, don't forget that an eco-responsible t-shirt is above all a t-shirt that keeps for a long time. So offer a classic and high-quality model to make it a sustainable gift. Discover:
- The clean T-shirt : a collection for men and women in organic or recycled cotton, linen and soon hemp, without chemicals or insecticides, colored with a dye certified oeko-tex 100 and certified Gots. In addition, the waste water for manufacturing is recycled. Easy maintenance with a 30 ° wash and no need to iron. It is sent without plastic packaging.
- To be spoilt for choice, the Fairytale . eco site offers different brands of organic and eco-friendly t-shirts for women: different cuts and colors, organic cotton, Tencel or hemp. The ethical and transparent approach provides a description of each material, its place of production and the associated labels.
