Boardroom Eco Apparel Awarded ‘ECO’ Trademark in U.S. and Canada

Vancouver, British Columbia-based Boardroom Eco Apparel announced it received certificates of registration for its ECO trademark in both the U.S. and Canada. “We are very excited,” said Mark Trotzuk, owner and design coordinator of Boardroom Eco Apparel. “Registering the ECO trademark enables us to officially protect and defend our brand which currently represents the highest environmental apparel standard in the industry. This trademark will help to dispel any confusion arising from the improper usage of the term ECO by companies that infringe upon our trademark. When referring to environmentally friendly apparel, the correct term is ‘ecological,’” added Trotzuk.

Boardroom Eco Apparel launched the ECO brand in early 2005, implementing the highest Environment, Health and Safety (E.H.S.) standards throughout its entire supply chain.

“What most people don’t realize” explained Trotzuk, “is that most of the apparel industry’s impact on human health and the environment is related to textile dyeing and finishing, not the cultivation of natural fibers or creation of synthetic fibers. He added, “For example, although it is better to use organic cotton vs. conventional cotton, the benefit may be minimal, when compared to the potential harm associated with the chemical, water and resource intensive step of dyeing and finishing.”

Boardroom Eco Apparel is obligated to defend it’s proprietary trademark rights both a legal perspective, because it is the best way to mediate “greenwashing” within the industry, while at the same time protecting its partners and customer base. According to Trotzuk, “Our clients re-sell our eco-apparel, and have chosen our brand because of our high environmental, health and safety standards, and transparency. We need to legally protect the integrity of our clients from promotional product distributors who purchase from suppliers that infringe upon our ECO trademark; who claim that their clothing is environmentally friendly when it does not in fact meet the same high environmental standards as Boardroom Eco Apparel.”

Boardroom Eco Apparel feels there is a need for the promotional product industry to adopt a standard or index that compares products from an environmental, human health and safety perspective. “Currently, anyone can claim that their product is ‘green’ or ‘ecologically friendly,’ without any verification or certification in place,” explained Trotzuk. “This is leading to mass confusion and lack of trust from consumers who want to make a difference by purchasing products that truly provide environmental benefits.” Trotzuk pointed to other business groups, like the Outdoor Industry Association (www.outdoorindustry.org/), which already has a group of 65+ companies, (some of the biggest apparel and footwear brands in the world) working together to develop environmental impact evaluation tools and education programs. “I feel that our industry needs to work together, and implement a comprehensive, practical standard. As an industry, we need to show that we doing our part,” concluded Trotzuk.

For more information on Eco Apparel, visit www.ecoapparel.ca or www.boardroomclothing.com