I’ve done a bit of investigating ethical Free Software T-Shirts here in the past.
Even when they’re available, it seems a bit odd to buy a fairtrade t-shirt and then get it in plastic wrap and/or on a plastic hanger in a plastic bag. I also wonder about why and how it’s fairtrade, a sort of look behind the label desire.
Now Boxes of Fairtrade t-shirts are to be trialled in Midcounties Co-op stores – will it succeed and will we start to see more of this sort of packaging for ethical products? A cardboard comeback?
This is an interesting topic. Have you heard of American Apparel? They are a clothing company based in Los Angeles which promotes itself as an ethical business, but also capitalizes on the “made in the USA” label which many Americans are concerned with.
I’ve heard of American Apparel, but never bought from them. Buying from developed countries can mean that developed labour laws avoid sweatshops in that stage of the manufacture, but it also means that it’s not providing employment in less developed countries. It’s a tough choice and not one I’ve got a firm rule on.
There’s some criticism of American Apparel from the Clean Clothes Campaign (who were linked in the comments of a previous article here) at http://www.cleanclothes.org/component/content/article/9/100-american-apparel
Hey MJ,
Interesting post you put up there. I am currently living in Cambodia and since you said you have done a little bit of research, I’d like to ask you if you have heard of any organic fair trade t-shirts coming out of Cambodia?
Any help you can provide is really appreciated,
Cheers,
Dom.
Hi Dom – sorry for taking a while to reply. My research is all linked from this and the previous article. I’m not aware of organic fair trade t-shirts coming out of Cambodia. Most of mine seem to be from India. Are there any?
Saw your post – thanks. We supply Fairtrade T shirts and hoodies which are wholly manufactured in India for us. The whole chain from Cotton farmer to finished article in carried out by Fairtrade licensees. We supply companies and schools in bulk and always encourage then to accept them muli bagged (rather than individually – plus we use biodegradable bags. I hope this helps. I am not aware of any one supplying from Cambodia but the Fairtrade Foundation can certainly adice you. http://www.fairtrade.org
Thanks Susan. I will check out the fairtrade foundation. When you say ‘we supply’, who are you guys? Do you let individuals buy in bulk from you? Is there a website I can go to?
Cheers,
Dom
[…] around the exhibition and the marketplace. For example, it was great to see Revolver still selling the T-shirts I mentioned here in 2009 – as well as giving out free samples of their brilliant fairtrade coffee. What comes from the […]