WHAT I KNOW TO DATE ABOUT THE MAKING OF MY BAMBOO/COTTON TEES
Forest/field--bamboo/cotton fiber--yarn--fabric---sewing--dyeing--finishing--tee

Notes from a passionate newcomer
Last edited: May 9, 2008
Lee Tracy lee[@]leetracy.com
Below are topics that I am working to gain knowledge in. The process is ongoing. My main interest is the supply journey and how things are made. New insights are welcome! I deeply appreciate those that have shared and exchanged information.

I like to explore details and I like to understand the big picture. My attitude is one of hope. I like to be positive and I like to believe that humans have the passion and know how to solve things. I like to support others in their efforts and I enjoy the activity of sharing.

Here is the extended journey of hands involved in creating an item:
Farmer, Fiber processor, Yarn spinner, Manufacturer (fabric/garment), Dye Houses, Designer, Independent reps and distributors, Wholesale, Retail, Customer. (Clothing afterlife: vintage and thrift, reconstruction, rags or dump)

BAMBOO FOREST/PLANTATION - The bamboo in our tees is grown in the Szechwan province of China. (India also is a large supplier of bamboo, yet in some areas it has been over-harvested. I have also heard that bamboo is indigenous to areas in Africa! If so, I think this renewable crop should be reintroduced there!) The Chinese bamboo is described as "well-selected non-polluted bamboo." Though I don't think that there is a place on earth that hasn't been touched by pollution, I do know that a bamboo grove is self-cleansing by naturally rejuvenating the air and restoring the soil. In my mind I see the bamboo as a forest, one that is ancient with masses of foliage that sway in the wind. I prefer to maintain this visual, yet I know the bamboo is grown on family owned plantations that most likely have much activity. The bamboo is Moso bamboo, a tall trunk species that is the type that the panda bears DO NOT eat.

Are the Chinese cutting down trees to grow bamboo? A few years ago I was in China and learned the opposite. For decades so many trees were cut down, especially in the city of Beijing because "Mao didn't like the birds sitting in trees and dropping dung on the streets" is what I was told. Forests had been chopped down for fuel (and disposable chopped sticks, which are now banned from production, sale or use in many provinces) and there were consequences of erosion and dwindled wetlands that are now being addressed with replanting programs.

Has there been over-harvesting of bamboo? Yes, there is evidence of this. Education is key and the The European Commission has provided funds To the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) to implemented conservation training programs in the bamboo rich provinces of Hunan, Sichuan and Yunnan.

BAMBOO - Bamboo is a renewable resource and is a replacement for wood, a supplement for cotton, and a legal alternative to hemp for the USA. Bamboo is intrinsically organic and does not need pesticides because it does not attract pests; it repels them (like hemp.) Bamboo does not need fertilizers because it grows like a weed; bamboo spreads rapidly across land without effort.  If a branch is snapped off a new one begins to grow. The root system is long and strong and, like the cypress tree, hold each other up to withstand high winds and storms. Crop rotation or intercropping is not necessary because bamboo naturally replenishes the soil in which it roots.  Bamboo is naturally organic and doesn't need certification to be declared so. Bamboo does not need the adjective "organic" to describe it (and neither does hemp.) The cost of pesticides and fertilizers, the equipment needed to dispense them, and the labor costs to work the equipment are the deterrent for abuse. Basically the farmer knows that if you leave bamboo to grow on it's own without much effort the yield is excellent.

THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF BAMBOO FIBER
1. Raw natural bamboo fiber: tan color and is a rough porous strand.
2. Cleaned original natural bamboo fiber: not overly abundant and creates a linen fabric.
3. Viscose bamboo: widely used and creates a super fine yarn. (man-made)

Currently, all 3 of these imported bamboo fibers are labelled in 1 category, viscose, with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC does not recognize original natural bamboo fiber as a natural fiber.

VISCOSE BAMBOO FIBER #3 Bamboo stalks are processed into fiber by Hebei Jigao Chemical Fiber Co. under the trademark name "Tianzhu" bamboo fiber. They process 60,000 tons of fiber a year that include bamboo, cotton and hemp. Jigao has authorized several entities (marketing entities) to export bamboo fiber under different trademarks. Tenbro and Bambrotex in China are among them. The bamboo fiber is sold to spinning facilities worldwide. It is interesting to note that most of these companies are fairly new. All bamboo viscose bamboo originates from this source and a new invention of processing. The Hebei Jigao Chemical Fiber Co. fiber is certified chemical-free, class 1; good enough for babies. This is good because it means there is no trace of the chemicals used in processing. The entity of certification is Oeko-Tex in Switzerland. In all certifications a sample is tested, sample A, then B thru Z goes into the production chain. Here is how you check the validation of a certificate on their site: validation. Search Far East and China, and then click on H.

With viscose bamboo fiber the bamboo plant is dissolved to make moist pulpy sheets, an organic natural viscose. The sheets are then pressed through spinnerets to create thin strands of bamboo thread, very much the same way as a spider creates the strands for a web.   The threads are strong, soft and uniform, just like the spider's thread.

I was told that, in the early days, the chemicals for processing bamboo were super harsh. This weakened the bamboo fiber too much and caused breakage and pilling in the final product. I can wrap my brain around this and believe it because of my experience with the fabric and seeing some of this occur. The process has endured the lightening up on chemicals. My view is to applaud steps taken towards green and encourage more steps be taken. The above is a probing into: "hydrolysis-alkalization and multi-phase bleaching." Not many know what it is specifically, due to the fact that it is vague and protects a very high tech patented process. The phrase describes an action rather then detailed ingredients. When I read that someone has the "recipe" I am skeptical. When I read that the process is "chemical intensive" I pause. I am discovering that most of the chemicals used in processing fabric are more practical then being mentioned and also used in amounts that can be managed and controlled for safety. I have learned that there are non-toxic and organic compounds that can agitate, be used as an alkali and whiten (acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, to name a few.)

I have heard that there is a newer, more eco-friendly "closed loop" process for viscose bamboo fiber (that mimics the Lyocell method) where the chemicals used during the processing are captured and recycled for further use. I have done extensive research to find these companies without success. There is one system being developed in Japan but has yet to come to market.

CLEANED ORIGINAL NATURAL BAMBOO FIBER #2 This is bamboo linen. Natural bamboo fiber comes from split bamboo stocks (long and thin to retain the length of the natural fiber). The method begins as a very physical one where the bamboo is steamed, crushed and rinsed to separate the cellulose fiber from the plant. The process takes time and requires attention. "Biological enzymes are used to degum the bamboo fiber as they become more and more exposed. Natural bamboo fiber is coarse and needs to be cleaned by a process of sorting, soaking, softening and drying." The method reuses the solutions over and over. The fibers are then carded (brushed) or combed, which is a process that can occur on big metal drums with protruding prongs on them.

BEWARE: Do not fall for claims that "original natural" bamboo fiber is now available in a softer yarn and fabric. Do not believe that there is a new process with a new "degumming" method that enables the real natural bamboo fiber to be used.

RAW NATURAL BAMBOO FIBER #1 Same as above but without sorting or cleaning. This is good for heavy duty strength, like car interiors, when combined with other materials.

SOON Is bamboo biodegradable, anti-bacterial (odor free), antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and anti-uv?

Will Eco-friendly voices on the processing of ALL FIBER be heard? Here is a Chinese patent for an eco method with a USA patent pending and another eco processing idea. Reading patents is very enjoyable and hopeful to me. Bamboo processing is moving like the speed of light!

COTTON- In progress

If bamboo is my first choice, organic cotton is my second. Hemp is my third choice because it is illegal to grow in the USA. If hemp were made legal then it would be my second choice. Bamboo remains my first choice because of the softness of the fiber. This is because I will lean towards a resource that is renewable and clean and lean away from a resource that takes years to grow or is a burden to grow (ie water use, soil nutrient depletion.) I think it is important to research the story of cotton to get a clear up-to-date picture and I am in the middle of doing this. As far as pricing of cotton I have learned that conventional and organic cotton are a lateral cost because the pesticides and labor amount to about the same. In route to market the price of the organic cotton begins to climb due to demand.

CONVENTIONAL You have read about conventional cotton everywhere: The production and processing of conventional cotton is one of "the most chemically intensive" and "it takes approximately ¼ pound of chemicals to make just one cotton t-shirt", "it takes 1 pound of chemicals to grow 3 pounds of conventional cotton" and "the average 100% cotton tee is made up of only 73% cotton with 27% being chemicals."
I have learned that this information (the above quotes) about conventional cotton is old and dated (perhaps 30 years old.) Since the decade USA farmers have been adapting to use fewer chemicals in agriculture due to cost and the need to be competitive.
One introduction and research started in 2002 with precision agriculture technologies that use global positioning systems (GPS) and geographical information systems (GIS) site-specific crop management systems. What is emerging is a variable rate application of pesticides can be accomplished by using an aircraft equipped with infrared light to target the arrival of a pest infestation. The result is that chemical inputs are then controlled to reduce insect pest populations to a manageable level while improving farm efficiency and minimizing adverse affects on the environment or human health.

Am I promoting conventional cotton? What I am doing is looking at cotton from all sides. My uncle, Mike Campbell lived with us briefly, when I was a young girl in grade school, to attend college in Boston followed by an internship. He was to be an urban planner but then decided to be a farmer. He farmers 700 acres of soybean and cattle corn in Southern Illinois and is the Supervisor of the Edwardsville Township. (When the Mississippi flooded years back he went in plane with Senator Dick Durbin to be the voice of the farmers.) I have since learned that I must listen to him and his perspective, which varied from my original stand that US farmers were trapped in a chemical assault of the environment. I learned that perhaps USA farmers were getting a bum rap and I was contributing to it. I will continue to learn to more.

ORGANIC When the cotton is organic it is grown without chemicals pesticides and fertilizers. The cotton needs to be picked by hand because it is not sprayed with the synthetic chemical compound that makes the leaves drop. The soil is fertilized every third year by cycling nitrogen from the air into the soil through alfalfa, a natural soil builder. Organically processed cotton is washed and softened with citric acid and soap and water, not chemical washes. No chemical bleaching is done, although hydrogen peroxide can be used as a whitening agent.

Most Organic farms are certified and monitored. Monitoring often occurs in scheduled visits. The certification checks on farming methods and working conditions. It does not apply to living conditions of the workers that huddle among the work areas. I have started hearing stories that I am looking into, about workers along the Euphrates and Tigres rivers. I have heard that people are dying because the rivers that provide water are dammed and rerouted for the cotton fields. Workers are bathing and drink from the same water source, which are not free flowing but are leftover "puddles" of water. The competition for work creates a living environment that is endured even though it is considered unhealthy.

SIDE NOTE I have heard that some farms have grown peanuts as their rotation crop because it yields a higher income. Peanuts do not restore the soil in the way that alfalfa does. Peanuts absorb. If a farm that says they are organic isn't, and if they grow peanuts and we eat them then we will begin to have problems. When I have time I will look into this further. It is sad, because as we know we have begun to have problems.

CERTIFICATION In the USA there are PBI tags (Permanent Bale Identification) that is attached to each bale of cotton prior to storage. They contain a unique bar coded that traces it to the owner with classing data. This method officials using hand-held devices to authenticate allows for cotton and textile components through rigorous manufacturing processes. As the world's largest consumer market, the United States is an attractive destination for cotton-containing products. U.S. grown cotton is often exported for processing to other countries and labels are removed from cotton bales and then become difficult to trace. Also, When these textile return to the USA (as fiber, fabric or garments) the cotton re-enters with a tariff. One company developed DNA-embedded technology to effectively identify cotton yarns and to protect property from counterfeiting and fraud. It is said that this new technology costs less than 1 cent per pound of cotton.

Other countries have yet to catch up with new technology and tracking. I found it difficult to trace all cotton to the owner, farm, and date of harvest. My stand is to use USA cotton and make sure that it is processed here and never leaves. This assures a lower carbon footprint and also assures me that I know the origin of the cotton used.

YARN - When learning about yarn there are 2 factors to consider, how the fiber is treated and how the yarn is spun. Here are the 4 choices for tees:
1. Carded Open-end
2. Carded Ring-spun
3. Combed Ring-spun
4. Combed Open-end
Carding is a process of brushing to reveal the coarser fibers.
Combing is a process used to reveal the longer, finer fibers.
Open-ended yarn is blown together and wrapped loosely using air jets.
Ring-spun yarn is twisted together tightly to make a finer smoother yarn.

Currently, our yarn is spun in Hangzhou, China. Certaintees are made from a 70% bamboo/ 30% organic (when available) cotton yarn. The cotton is combed and the yarn ring spun (news on the bamboo portion to follow.) The yarn then is shipped to California by boat. During the spinning process yarn is coated with wax so that when it is knitted it can knot. I have also heard that yarn can be coated with oil, but learned that if there is oil on the yarn it is because the spinning equipment is well greased the oil spatters on to it. At this point sizing may also be applied. For best results that render softness it is best that the yarn is spun into a size that is fine, not thick. Also, the more twists per inch the softer it becomes.

I requested that the yarn not have any traces of spandex or lycra. I wanted the tees to be as natural as we could make them.

FABRIC - Next the yarn is knitted (not woven) into fabric here in the USA. For best results it is best the yarn is ring-spun and the knit is tight to create a soft durable fabric. Our fabric is a 170 gram weight. Shrinkage ratio is determined by the sewing equipment and amount of needles used to knit the fabric.

Raw, unprocessed fabric directly from the loom is called greige. Greige is the purest form but not considered finished or ready to wear. Greige goods shrink with many successive washing. All fabric is framed; stretched out for shape retention. There are many treatments used at this stage to achieve different qualities of fabric; heat, steam, singeing, sanding, and napping. Treatment can loosen fibers or flatten them to produce textures from smooth to rough. For smooth fabric is sent through a heating process that is either a chamber or rollers. A water-soluble sizing (starch) finish is added that also helps in the sewing process so that the needle glides through the fabric and doesn't damage it. This additive washes out simply before dyeing.

Fabric is either dyed in large bulk pieces (piece dyed) before the garment is made or is "prepared for dye" (PFD) or "prepared for garment dye" (PFGD) to be dyed after sewing. To prepare the fabric it must be rinsed at some point so that the wax (or oil) can be washed out from the yarn so that the fabric takes dye. PFD and PFGD fabric must be finish-free to accept the dyestuffs. These fabrics have a simple starch finish that washes out completely before dyeing.

Now that I am moved to order PFD, purity is an issue and the tees come right from the sewing table.

SEWING - Our tees are cut and sewn in the USA. Bamboo requires unique machinery specific for characteristics of the yarn in the same way that bathing suit fabric requires different machinery. There have been some trials and errors that I have needed to endure as the manufacturer enhanced the machinery and got it right. All in all I support the efforts and understand the risk involved when attempting something new. Having a manufacturer registered with the government means they get visits for inspections on many fronts; labor practice and conditions. The RN appears in the label. To check RN (registered numbers) visit the Federal Trade Commission.

Taking a garment right from the sewing table are less likely to have chemical treatments than manufactured clothing because many chemical treatments are formulated not to wash out.

DYEING/FINISHING - In progress. My fieldwork consists of trial and error, controlled experimenting, reading and interpretation.

Color can be a mineral, natural, or a synthetic (manmade.) Color can be pigment or a dye. (Major research in progress on this topic)
When I make my oil paintings I use mineral pigments that come from the earth and some of them are very bright! A few colors are mineral pigments but synthetic because the heat as been induced by a man (man-made) rather then something like a forest fire that occurs in nature with the same result. This method came after taking a chemistry class and wanting to make artwork with a sense of purity. The pigment is made of small insoluble molecules that must to be suspended in a vehicle; in this case an oil-based compound (linseed oil).
With dyes the molecules are soluble and require a liquid vehicle. 50% of all textile dyes are synthetic and 100% of the synthetic dyes are petrochemical in origin. Please note: petrochemical can be referred to as organic substance. Organic pigments refer to a wide range of chemical families and cover a wide spectrum of properties. Organic pigments contain carbon.
Natural dyes are vegetable, plant, or bug. Natural dyes require chemicals mordants for the dye to stick and are often worse then a synthetic dye. Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead and mercury, though necessary in small amounts to sustain life, are hard to use for large amounts of fabric. (Perhaps in the future clothes are colorless and individuals, community group events or small dye shops provide the color.)
I AM DYEING: A world without color by Lee

Dyes are classified by their chemical constitution or on the method of application to fiber: mordant dyes, chrome dyes, azoic dyes, sulphur dyes, fibr reactive dyes, oil and spirit soluble dyes, direct or substantive dyes, vat dyes, disperse dyes, . Dyes on the market sold for art and craft must pass oral and aquatic toxicity, biodegradability safety tests.

LOW IMPACT DYES: I started my research with "reactive dyes", a process invented in the 1950's and wide use for mass production and craft. Reactive dyes can be low impact and abide by water safety regulations if can is used in setting up the dye house. They can contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, and they can meet all European Union criteria for being an eco-friendly pigment. "Low impact dyes available to industry" is true only if one is well versed in knowing which colors to use and which colors not to use. It is also true if the dyeing procedure is responsible. (Pouring dyes into rivers or lawns is not good.) Otherwise, it is a meaningless term that is used loosely today. Meaning, "environmentally friendly dyes" are only as friendly as the hands or machines that use them. One must imagine the huge industry dye tanks that use steaming water, fixatives, and lots of dye to handle vast loads of clothing and then flushing this out to the water treatment plants. The image (and even the machine look of the garment) is not something I am fond of and it is far from the potential of low impact.

JET DYEING TECHNOLOGY: Jet dyeing is a process that can be used to bleach, dye, fix dye, wash and rinsing large amounts of fabric at once. The machine is tubular system. The fabric to be dyed is tied into a loop and moved by propelled dye liquor through a pressurized tube. Jet dyeing consumes less water, dyes, and chemicals. Increased dyeing rate results to quicker machine drains and fills, and more. The dye is not recyled but the water from the rapid heating and cooling system is (warm water to make the hot warm, repeatedly.) Single garments can be dyed in in a non-tubular dye jet machine where the garments are moved with heavy jets of liquid dye. Unfortunately, high water pressures can often weaken or damage to the surface of the fabric, especially if they are lightweight. For future concerns for becoming green I feel that the topic of the strength of our clothing must be addressed.

FIXING AGENTS: In the dyeing process there can be an added reaction that helps the dye attach to the fiber (imaging the fiber growing more teeth to grab the dye more). There are methods of moderate heat, steam, or additives that alter the PH of the fiber like organic chemical such as soda ash or a nitrogen-based type of compound (often called "chemical nature".)

AZO FREE?: I was searching for "AZO-free" dyes. "AZO-free" is popping up everywhere and it sounds great and safe and I wanted them! "AZO" sounds bad, "AZO-free" sounds green. Some of the dye houses chuckled at my request. I was told that most synthetic textile dyes are part of a parent group called AZO dyes and that they are the largest group of textile dyes (over 1000). Azo dyes are used to color a wide range of items such as consumer goods, such as clothes, food, and toys in a variety of applications because they have high saturation strength, brighter hues and colorfast properties. AZO dyes consist of a very general formula and with a stable compound structure. The interesting point is there are sub-groups within the AZO dyes group and certain "Azo dyes" are unstable and produce by-products; invisible fumes that can be potential carcinogens -- called aromatic amines. So, there are hazardous AZO dyes and non-hazardous AZO dyes. The European Commission began a directive 15-20 years ago to ban the use of hazardous AZO dyes (Azo dye group III A1 and A2.) Many of the colors banned in Europe are also banned in the USA (remember the red m&m.) So, does the wording "AZO-free" make sense if most synthetic textile dyes originate from an AZO group? I think people are reading "banned AZO dyes" or "prohibited AZO dyes" and thinking they are all bad instead. I am sure that in the future more color will most likely be banned as we learn more about being green.

"Non-AZO" dyes for textile are acid dyes. Acid dyes work on protein fibers, wool, fur, and silk; meaning they do not work on cellulose fibers (cotton, bamboo, wood.)

DIRECT DYES: A month into my research I switched to a "Direct dye" (without added fillers) and working with "staining" the fabric because it seems to be very gentle. "Direct dyes" do not require fixing agents, mordants or chemicals (such as the commonly known dye mixture called RIT, and all purpose dye that combines direct dyes and acids dyes so that consumers can use it on all both cellulose and protein fiber fabrics.)

FINISHING: This is interesting. Some of the bamboo fabric samples felt silky and too soft. I didn't like the way my printing inks worked on them. I found out that silicone softener, a liquid sodium silicate solution known as water glass was put on some fabric during a finishing stage. There are different types of coatings (softeners) applied to fabric during this stage. I requested that the fabric not have any silicone coating applied.

Then I searched more and found that this stage in making fabric is capable of performing complex tasks such as scouring, bleaching, brightening, mercerizing, dyeing where the fabric is impregnated with additives (resin, lubricants, silicone, binders) that enhance and induce the look, feel, and performance of fabric and dried. Fabric can be enhanced with color, colorfastness, color fixative, softeners, anitmircobial, wrinkle free, flame retardant, uv, weather-resistant, wash and wear to name a few.

OTHER ISSUES

FACT or FICTION - I have not always received correct information. It is not the type of world I want to live in and I really don't want to chalk this behavior up to the notion that this is how business is done. I ask a lot of questions and I tend to ask the same ones over and over. Finding clarity takes time; it takes months of prodding to learn facts.

SECRETS - Wow. This has been very hard to understand and navigate through! Not everyone wants you to know his or her supply chain. Currently, my manufacturer is my secret and will remain so until we work out our system. We have had our moments while remaining respectful of one another and mutual goals. I am for "know your manufacturer" just as the organic food industry has "know your farmer."

THE COTTON INDUSTRY - A point to consider is that (and personally this makes me even more curious about things) I am hearing that the cotton industry is scared and working to kick up bad dirt about bamboo. I find this very interesting. Consider our American history, when the logging and cotton industries, along with the media corporations (Hearst, for instance), strong-armed congress to stamp out hemp in the 1930's. Competition can be fierce.

BUM BAMBOO? - I learned that there is illegal processing popping up on the scene. It is said that some yarn labelled 100% bamboo is actually only 30%. It is not easy to detect by touch. It costs about $500 to have fabric tested at an independent lab. Personally, I think it is best to confirm that the bamboo comes from those who have a patent and are working with OekoTex because these are people that are working and listening to the concern and critique of the public. I will be inquiry about the lawsuits and what parties are involved.

I stand by my bamboo because it is abundant, grows fast naturally without assistance from fertilizer and pesticides, and that time and further research will help us get rid of remaining processing problems.

ECO-FABRIC PROCESSING: I have learned that all natural fibers require processing and that processing mainly requires "chemicals" (or "solvents"), some more toxic then others. Natural substances like bamboo, hemp*, Ingeo and wood, need to go through a process where the fiber is broken down into tiny little pieces. Processing cotton requires the cotton gin to remove the seeds and protein based fibers (wool, silk and angora) requires their own processing. Even the new "bio-engineered" fiber from milk and soybean need to go through a process (which I plan to understand more clearly) where a liquid becomes a solid. Depending on what type of fabric is desired and what form of raw material is used, there are different stages and methods to get the job done. Some of the stages require chemicals, used to varying degrees, to turn raw material into fabric.

*There is a non-chemical processed hemp (it is a mechanical process) that was developed in Romania. Yeah! (But no tees because the fibers have an edge and are rough on the skin. There is talk of softer hemp and I hope it is a new processing method rather than added more chemicals.)

TERMS - Biotechnology or bioengineering? Does solvent mean chemical? Does "no chemical additives" mean "chemical-free?" We need a green wiki where we can all come together and start defining terms. Does anyone know of one? If so, please email me. If you want to start a wiki, please let me know because I have a list of terms that need to be defined. Thank you.

MANUFACTURERS- What is a VERTICAL COMPANY? It suggests that a company has control and ownership of the whole process; the entire supply chain that includes the raw material and how things are done. It is a term used today loosely. I personally do not have ownership or full control of "fiber to tee," but, I am involved with a manufacturer that direct ties to the entire supply chain that begins with spinning the yarn in China. There are also two other USA manufacturers (of bamboo) that seem to have access to controlling several steps of the process yet and only 1 of them actually maintains ownership. (I will introduce these later)

What is PROPRIETARY INFORMATION? I fell for this term too. It can mean three things: 1- we don't really know. 2- we do not really care. 3- we don't trust you with this information.

PLEASE NOTE: My stand is not to get caught up in the fear (game of competition) of business. If there is going to be movement in the green movement, there will have to be transparency. This is my stand.

IDEAS FOR SOLUTIONS

I continue to learn every day.  Here are some of the issues I wish to explore further:

TRANSPARENCY - I am working on this. I have noticed that many businesses have 3rd party verification. I have paper work to fill out to apply for one, yet there are a lot of terms on it that I still need to figure out! I am interested in this model offered from B Corporation because it requires the applicants to incorporate environmental and social practice into your corporation bylaws.

WATER TREATMENT - I want to SHOUT OUT that I think this is the biggest solution to many of the problems that we face. In the next few years, I would love to see this become a huge public green topic. I would like to see water treatment used in every factory. The newest technology is a method called Membrane Technology that seems to produce "ultra pure" water and removes traces of chemicals!!! Here is an article about it and there is a book called Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse by George Tchobanoglous. This new method is aimed at being economical and attainable!

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - I think we should make efforts to restore "made in the USA" (ie: or the country in which you live; meaning as local as possible.) Shorter distances are best for transport. Also, it is easier to get to know your suppliers and understand the regulations in one's own country. (*When reading labels "America" can mean all of north America and the USA denotes the 50 states.)

BAMBOO GROWN IN THE USA!!! - Very cool Bamboo research.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP - I wish this were legal right now. If it were legal then we could grow it here in the USA and industrial hemp would be my first choice in raw material for fabric.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

ENVIRONMENT - I think individual awareness and choice comes into play here. Each person and business will do his or her part to enact change. There is a myriad of things that need improvement and plenty of people to chip away at each detail. Creativity is key and new inventions are solutions.

ECONOMIC - I want to work to have a sustainable life style where food, shelter, and clothing are included. The goal of Certaintees is to grow to a modest level to sustain a small group of people. I believe in the worth of things that are free: values, talent, creative thinking, determination and so on. Sustainability is a simple comfort and a process that we are still encouraging.

SOCIAL - I feel that sharing is key. I also think that consumerism should be strongly tied to circulating funds. Meeting our needs is then connected to meeting the needs of a greater number. Please visit our Non-profit Partner page to learn more about our relationships.

REFERENCE

My interest in American industry stems from my grandpa Henry Street and his lineage in the New England yarn business that dated back centuries. I knew him briefly but he made an impression. The fabric mills of the eastern seaboard have quite a history that we learned from; one that includes child labor and horrible conditions that were eventually brought into question. American grew to set laws to protect humans and it required that some of the business's profits be spent to assure human dignity. In the late 20th century the jobs (factories) began to flee American and move to locations where profits were held at higher levels (for a few) and human condition was an issue kept silent.

My belief is that we should reintroduce homeland manufacturing of goods. There are profits, yet they are spread more evenly to provide fairly for many to have a decent life. The consumer is in power to amend the direction of manufacturing.

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