Sustainable Clothing Company NAU Closes

NAU Inc., the innovative Portland-based eco-friendly clothing company announced this weekend it was going out of business.

The company was known for using recycled polyester, organic cotton and materials like Ingeo in its garments.

In addition to their materials the company employed a sustainable business model lowering overhead costs and reducing waste. The company also incorporated charitable giving into its business.

NAU is offering its products online through its web site at fifty percent discount while supplies last.

In the past Sustainable is Good has covered NAU products and their use of Teijin recycled textiles from Japan.

The closing of the company is a loss as they were one of only a few combining design and eco-friendly materials in clothing and outerwear. 

If you are looking for some eco clothing or outerwear be sure to check out their web site for great bargains on NAU clothing.

Eco-friendly Socks

A number of companies are making socks from more ecologically friendly materials.  Sustainable is Good Products tested some of the current offerings made from Ingeo, bamboo and even soy-based fibers.  As a group we found these socks to be of high quality and well made.  Interestingly some of the big box retailers like Target and Wal-Mart are also offering their own brands of eco-socks.  For the consumer this means you don't have to break the bank to get socks made from eco-materials.

Teko Socks – This Colorado company is focused on making socks and they do it well.  We tried their Ingeo Light Hiking socks made using Ingeo fiber from Natureworks LLC.  Ingeo is a corn-based fiber used in a number of textiles.  We found these Teko socks to be lightweight and very well built with excellent breathability.  Teko socks are available online as well as at a number of outdoor product stores across the country.

REI - These socks from outdoor retailer REI were very similar in construction and quality to the Teko socks we liked so much.  A major drawing point of these REI socks is the price which was almost half the cost of the Teko socks. The REI Hiking socks are also made using Ingeo fiber and are lightweight and breathable.  In terms of functionality and durability they were comparable to the Tekos and a great value.

Target – We tested value priced eco socks from Target's Classic line made using bamboo fibers and also a pair made from soy fiber.  The Target socks are designed as more dress or work socks and held up well under use.  Both styles are durable and extremely lightweight – they would make excellent socks from the spring and summer seasons.  Another benefit of the socks from Target is the price selling in packs of two for less than $5.

This is a sampling of socks available on the market using eco-fibers.  The socks we tested were all men's socks however each company offered similar styles for women.  We also spotted eco-fiber socks at Wal-Mart but were unable to obtain them in time for this review.

Totes Eco brella

Cincinnati-based Totes-Isotoner has launched a new line of more environmentally responsible products including a stylish portable umbrella made from 70% recycled materials.

The auto open/close Eco 'brella has a canopy made of 100% recycled PET (rPET) from plastic bottles.  The frame of the umbrella is made from 70% recycled aluminum, steel and ABS plastic. Eco 'brella's handle is made from bamboo with a waxed hemp strap.

Michael Katz, Totes-Isotoner Senior Vice President, U.S. Wholesale Division said, “We found a great way to create fashionable products that incorporate recycled and renewable materials and are keeping with our principles of comfort, quality and performance.”

Sustainable is Good Products tested the new Eco 'brella and found it to be a solid overall product.  The umbrella has a lifetime warranty from Totes and fits easily into a briefcase or purse for carrying it on the go. 

Eco 'brella is a solid light to medium duty umbrella – like most portable umbrellas its not the ideal solution for heavy wind and rain.  We tried our test until out in urban conditions in moderate wind and rain and the umbrella performed well.  Compared to most portable/travel size umbrellas Eco 'brella is well built.

Eco 'brella is available in four colors, leaf green (shown), khaki, hydrangea and soft black.  The canopy proudly displays the recycled logo so passers by know your carrying a greener umbrella.  Due to the fact the umbrella is made with large amounts of recycled materials its not surprising its made in China.

The umbrella is currently available online through several retailers including Target.com and in department stores across the country including Macy's and Sears.

 

Simple ecoS ecoSNEAKS Shoe

Simple Shoes has recently released an addition to its popular ecoSNEAKS line of men's shoes.

The ecoS shoe is similar in some ways to their Snotire shoe but is wider and features a more durable base thanks to the addition of a recycled bike tire on the sidewall where the base of the shoe meets the sole.

Like the Snotire the ecoS features a sole made from a recycled car tire.  ecoS has an upper made of hemp with rPET laces, organic cotton linings and PET pedbeds.

The packaging is made from recycled stock and the shoes ship with 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms inside them.

We really like the ecoS shoe. The pair we tested was black (as shown) and the combination of the hemp upper with the new bike tire sidewall make this shoe more substantial than the Snotire. The wider profile of the shoe seemed to equate to more traction which is a good thing.

The bike tire sidewall also makes this shoe more durable as the sidewall protects the edges of the sole from nicks and bumps.

Simple ecoS contain no animal byproducts and are vegan friendly.

If you are looking for a stylish, fairly priced more eco-friendly shoe these are definitely worth a closer look.

Coca-Cola Drink 2 Wear Recycled Shirts at Wal-Mart

 
Wal-Mart in store informational display on the new shirts

Wal-Mart will begin selling Coca-Cola t-shirts made from recycled bottles in 400 stores and online this coming Monday April 14.

The shirts are made out of a fabric made from recycled #1 PET plastic (rPET).  The Coke shirts are part of the Drink 2 Wear line which Coca-Cola has been selling through their own web site.

The launch of the shirts are part of Wal-Mart's Earth Month promotion designed to start promoting eco-friendly food and clothing.

According to published reports Wal-Mart will heavily advertise the shirts through a variety of media outlets.

The recycled shirts will retail for $7.50.

Billabong ECO Supreme Suede Boardshorts

Popular clothing maker Billabong is using a new material called ECO Supreme Suede for some of its boardshorts and swim suits.

The exclusive material is eco-friendly made from recycled textiles and plastic soda bottles (rPET). The company says its cool new material doesn't sacrifice on quality.

ECO Supreme Suede is part of an overall plan by the company to work towards reducing contamination and providing cleaner air, soil and water.

Approximately 10 plastic bottles are used to create one pair of boardshorts, which helps reduce the impact we humans have on the environment, especially on landfill. "When it comes down to it, if you have an option to buy a pair of boardshorts that are actually lessoning our impact on the world we live in, the choice is simple," said Billabong freesurfer Dave "Rasta" Rastovich.

Billabong's Sonic (pictured) and United Nations boardshorts are both made from the ECO Supreme Suede and available in the U.S. Billabong's limited edition Wolfmother is also made from the eco-friendly fabric. 

Arc'teryx Made in China

High-end outdoor apparel company Arc'teryx is eroding the strength of its brand by contracting some of its manufacturing overseas and not fully embracing it.

If Arc'teryx is going to source production overseas they need to fully embrace it, just like Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) did. The company needs to tell consumers about their corporate sustainability efforts, conditions in their overseas production facilities and have audits & accountability for their contractors. 

Arc'teryx's customer base are avid outdoor people.  These people as a group tend to value social responsibility highly when making decisions on buying.  When companies don't provide this information or worse yet offer weak corporate sounding gloss over statements consumers look elsewhere.

Its not good enough any more to tell consumers 25% of the products are made in China and other countries and the remainder is made in Canada.  Eco-consumers want specifics, they as a group do more product research than any other segment of the buying population before making a decision on what to purchase.  Eco-consumers want information so they can make informed decisions.  Be open and up front and consumers will respond and the focus will shift from the country of manufacture back to the quality of the final product.

Arc'teryx Diplomat ST Gore Windstopper® Jacket made from Italian wool.  Made in China
 

Arc'teryx was founded in 1991 in Vancouver and made all of its gear in Canada.  It was known as a highly respected small brand with impeccable quality.   The company started making climbing harnesses and then began making innovative garments known for their construction and fit. 

In 2002 Arc'teryx was bought by Salomon, owned at the time by Adidas.  With the global presence of Salomon and the increasing popularity of Arc'teryx, the company started to out source manufacturing of some of its garments to China and other countries.