About Our Company and Our Vendors
Our company, Green Tees Embroidery, can not only provide your managers, associates and employees with quality corporate and logo wear, but can involve them with the effort to protect our resources.
Did you know:
- that conventional farming devours roughly a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough cotton for a single T-shirt?
- Or that synthetic performance fabrics are made from petrochemicals, a non-renewable fossil fuel?
Because conventionally grown cotton consumes approximately 25% of the insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides used in the world, and the manufacture of polyester and other synthetic fabrics requires large amounts of crude oil, releasing emissions which can cause or aggravate respiratory disease, Green Tees Embroidery only offers its customers organic and recycled apparel and accessories (www.AboutOrganicCotton.org)
Our custom logo embroidered apparel will provide your business with that professional appearance that will allow them stand out from the competition.
The push for responsible environmental practices is growing in the business sector. The reward is two-fold:
- Companies that choose green products can be proud that they are part of the solution rather than part of the problem, knowing that they are making forward-thinking decisions that impact the planet in safe and healthy ways.
- The other reward of purchasing green products is how these purchases affect perception. Being seen as a company that is willing to challenge the bottom line, especially in these difficult economic times, in favor of positive green choices is a company taking positive steps in improving and enlarging customer and community relations. Everyone wins.
We would be happy to discuss ways to introduce embroidered organic and recycled apparel into your corporate family. A formal quote and proposal will be provided once specific needs are discussed.
We hope you will join in the effort to make a positive difference.
And now a word ABOUT our vendors:
Econscious: Our goal is to have the least possible environmental impact while manufacturing the best quality products. We view this goal as a constant process of improvement. Our supply chain is certified by Control Union and Oregon Tilth. All of our apparel and cotton bags are made in factories that have been certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and verified by an independent third party. In addition, our domestic warehouse has been certified according to GOTS and verified by Oregon Tilth. This certification has earned 14 of our products the distinction being able to carry the GOTS finished goods label. (Also Green America Certified.)
GOTS is the most comprehensive international standard for Organic textiles. GOTS ensures the “organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labeling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.
Source: Turkey and India
Manufactured: China (hats mostly), Pakistan, India and Vietnam. (*See below for answers to some FAQs)
SPX Organics: Domestically and sustainably produced. What kind of dye do they use to dye their products?
A: We use low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. Fiber-reactive dyes are a synthetic dye that chemically bonds directly to the clothing fiber molecules. They were first used commercially in 1956. The fixation or absorption rate of low-impact dyes is at least 80%, creating less waste water runoff and therefore a lower impact on the environment. Recent advances have created fiber-reactive dyes with colors that are brighter and richer, and they provide excellent colorfast properties. They contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, and they meet GOTS (global organic textile standards) for organic certification requirements.
Source and manufactured: Grown and sewn in the USA.
Anvil: Corporate responsibility. Those are words we take very seriously. In fact, at the heart of Anvil’s mission is our commitment to helping make the earth a better place in which to live and work. We understand that manufacturing and business inherently have an impact on the planet, and it is our goal to minimize that impact. And we believe that any responsible business must be concerned about the preservation of the precious natural resources on which its own future—and all of ours, really—depends.
Anvil also believes in being a good neighbor. Yes, we strive to create a safe, humane ethical environment in which our employees can work. But we also care about what happens to them when they go home, which is why we work hard to improve the communities in which our facilities are located, and give back to the very people who help us create our wonderful products. To achieve this, Anvil will:
Comply with, and where possible exceed, all relevant environmental legislation, regulations and other requirements which apply, or to which we voluntarily subscribe.
With respect to our environmental responsibility:
Seek to address its impact on the environment through the adoption of a sustainable procurement policy. We will conserve through efficient use of resources and careful planning.
Continually enhance our environmental performance by setting improvement objectives and targets and developing actions to achieve them. These objectives and progress towards them will be reviewed regularly.
Protect both the environment and human health by minimizing and, where possible, preventing pollution and waste and by conserving energy, both through our own activities and through our influence on others.
Educate our employees through guidelines and training to develop an appropriate level of environmental understanding throughout Anvil and to ensure that environmental objectives can be achieved.
Source: USA and Vietnam (for fleeces)
Manufactured: Honduras
Econscious: answers to some frequently asked questions.
Q: Where does your cotton come from?
A: Our current production uses fibers mostly from Turkey and India. Turkey has been the world’s largest grower of organic cotton, but soon India will be the world leader in cotton cultivation.
Q: Where are your products made?
A: We make our products in China (hats mostly), Pakistan, India and Vietnam.
Q: Why does Econscious manufacture in China, Pakistan, India and Vietnam?
A: We carefully choose our production locations based on the quality and market parameters required to meet the needs of our customers. In these locations we are able to manufacture according to the highest international standards of social, environmental and organic compliance while offering a finished product that makes economic sense for all parties.
Q: What steps have you taken to ensure the integrity of your supply chain?
A: Our supply chain is certified by Control Union and Oregon Tilth. All of our apparel and cotton bags are made in factories that have been certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and verified by an independent third party. In addition, our domestic warehouse has been certified according to GOTS and verified by Oregon Tilth. This certification has earned 14 of our products the distinction being able to carry the GOTS finished goods label. GOTS is the most comprehensive international standard for Organic textiles. GOTS ensures the “organic status of textiles, from harvesting of the raw materials, through environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labeling in order to provide a credible assurance to the end consumer.”
Q: Why aren’t the products made in the USA?
A: While we would like to produce in the USA, at this time we’re unable to secure US fiber, spin yarn in the US, and manufacture at a price and quality level that satisfy’s market needs.
Q: Who certifies your cotton?
A: Our cotton fiber is certified by Control Union (formerly known as SKAL) as well as other certification bodies recognized by the USDA NOP.
Q: Are your goods Fair Trade?A: Currently, there is no Fair Trade certification available in the US for cotton garments. Fair Trade garments are available in the UK and certified by the FLO (Fair Labor Organization). The European certification is for the fiber only, not the finished garment. There are discussions underway between FLO and Transfair (the certification body for fair trade in the US) to certify the entire chain of manufacturing, from fiber to finished garment.
Q: What are the working conditions in your factories?
A: Our Organic cotton apparel and bags are produced in factories that have been certified according to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) by an independent third party agency. Section 3 of the GOTS addresses important social components designed to ensure a safe and hygienic workplace is provided. Our primary organic cotton cap factory is WRAP (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production) certified.