 Learn more about The Green Tee in this Q & "Dave" with founder, David Mollica.
Q What does it mean to be a 'sustainable' company? How is this relevant to 'The Green Tee?'
Dave Our idea of a sustainable company simply means that we make sure we have a minimal impact on the environment and that our processes don't deteriorate the environment to the point of jeopardizing our ability to continue. In business, it is not always possible to eliminate your footprint but measures can be made to off set harmful impacts. We actively measure our consumption (whether it is water, our electric dryers or our vehicles used to get to and from work) and make sure we find ways to offset those activities that are harmful to our environment.
Q How wasteful and potentially harmful to the environment is the traditional screen-printing business?
Dave The impact and dangers of the traditional screen printing business are real and numerous. The type of product offered is traditionally not an organic product meaning that chemical pesticides and fertilizers were used in production of the shirt. The inks used are typical PVC based and contain phthalates. There is a lot of research on PVC and phthalates, but it is generally agreed that they are harmful to the environment. Some studies have even suggested the possible retention of some of these chemicals in the body that can lead to liver and kidney problems. Some states are pursuing legislation to stop the use of traditional plastisol ink in kids clothing - that tells us there must be a potentially negative impact. There are viable, quality alternatives currently available. The typical screen print shop is often a place where they use spray tack to keep the printing pallets tacky. This is not only a dangerous chemical for the printers to use, it is applied with the use of an aerosol can. Also, there is excessive waste in the cleaning process including allowing chemicals to be poured down the drain. We use re-circulating and filtering equipment to reduce material in the cleaning process and what waste we do create gets disposed of properly. There is also significant waste in packaging. Some printers discard materials from incoming shipments from their distributors only to re-package the orders in a similar cardboard box with non-essential materials such as plastic liners and hangtags. Our focus is on your product - not the packaging.
Q Are PVC and phthalate free inks as durable and vibrant as traditional plastisol inks?
Dave We have tested the new inks and have gotten excellent results. We believe there is no discernable difference on appearance or durability. The real difference, however, is a more responsible product.
Q Is there really a difference in a 100% organic cotton garment and one that is not or is it more about marketing propaganda?
Dave There is a real difference on the impact to our environment. Organic tees are made without use of harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers. It is estimated that each organic shirt diverts 1/3 of a pound of fertilizers and chemicals from being used and washed into the soil of the earth.
Q What does it mean for a product to be certified as 100% organic?
Dave In the manufacturing of 100% organic products, only environmentally friendly chemicals that meet organic fiber processing standards can be used.
Q What are the Organic Fiber Processing Standards?
Dave The standards begin in the growing fields where every field and then bale of cotton is specifically certified to contain only organic materials. Organic cotton is processed differently and separately from conventional cotton and machines are cleaned to avoid any contamination. Throughout the process the organic cotton remains separate from conventional cottons and clearly identified so the certification can be tracked.
Q How are the standards and principles of certified organic cotton maintained and enforced?
Dave The Organic Trade Association protects the principles and standards of organic agriculture. Certifiers of the association visit farms, walk through the fields, check records and makes sure everything is correct and in compliance before granting organic certification to farmers. The O.T.A. is accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Q How does the quality of organic cotton fabric compare to non-organic cotton fabric?
Dave With all cotton there is a wide range of weights and feels. Typically, we find the organic products to be more consistent and they have a nicer, softer feel to them.
Q Is a 100% organic cotton garment comfortable?
Dave Absolutely…try them, you’ll love them.
Q What about recycled materials?
Dave This is an exciting area as it helps use waste that is already created. Recycled cotton fibers do not require land use or intensive irrigation therefore no fertilizers or pesticides are needed, while textile waste elimination reduces incinerator and landfill usage. |
