Eco-Friendly

Pro Towels Etc., based in Pittsburgh, announced it will offer eco-friendly products for 2008, stressing that the importance of helping create a sustainable environment has become a priority to the company. The eco-friendly items being offered include 100 percent organic beach towels and 100 percent bamboo beach towels and robes. The organic cotton being used in the towels is environmentally friendly. Organic crop production is based on a system of farming that doesn’t use toxic synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides to replenish and maintain soil fertility. Certified organic means a verification process was performed by an independent state or private organization to ensure that

Citing Anvil Knitwear’s commitment to further integrate environmental and social performance into the company’s U.S. and international facilities, Anvil has been approved by the Boston-based Ceres board of directors as a Ceres company. Ceres is a leading network of investors, environmental groups and other public-interest organizations working with companies to address sustainability challenges. Anvil Knitwear, designer, manufacturer and marketer of active wear based in New York, joined Ceres to help advance its own and Ceres’ environmental and social-responsibility goals. Anvil is one of more than 70 companies currently in the Ceres company network. “From their eco-friendly manufacturing processes to their organic cotton T-shirts,

New York-based apparel maker Anvil Knitwear has released its formalized environmental and social responsibility principles, acknowledging its responsibilities to the global community in which it operates. These principles are designed to inform all of Anvil’s decision making and to support its commitment to environmentally sustainable growth. “Anvil has committed itself to being an industry leader in key areas,” said CEO Anthony Corsano. “These include creating innovative and eco-friendly products at affordable prices, being a model in our industry for carbon footprint reduction and promoting socially responsible, ethical treatment of all our employees.” Anvil’s initiatives include energy and water conservation efforts, as well

DON'T LOOK NOW, but—POOF!—the promotional products industry just went green. Green meaning, of course, eco-friendly—not violently seasick, uncontrollably jealous or oddly monochromatic. No longer is saving the earth simply a topic for college campuses and backstreet beat coffee shops. The environmental sloganeering has been replaced by actual conversation—which, it should be pointed out, never would have happened without the sloganeering—as big businesses wake up to the natural world around them. Suppliers and distributors are singing a new tune that is friendly to everyone’s ears. More importantly, end-users are purchasing environmentally responsible products and supporting conservational business practices. Even if they don’t realize it, or

Anvil Knitwear, New York, helped Napa Valley’s Gaia Hotel celebrate its highly anticipated grand opening on March 30 by donating T-shirts from its 100 percent organic line for the event. The Gaia Hotel, which gets its name from the Mother Earth goddess in Greek mythology, is the first fully environmentally sustainable hotel in the United States. “Anvil launched its organic line just two weeks before our opening,” said Sunshine Gallagher, event coordinator. “Getting the two together was kismet. Both Gaia and Anvil are at the cutting-edge of a major ‘green’ movement.” The Gaia Hotel was built on four naturally landscaped acres to appeal to

Boardroom Custom Clothing, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, has launched ecoapparel.ca, one of the first collections of environmentally friendly custom apparel available in Canada and the United States. “We have an opportunity to make a difference to our earth, our employees and our community,” said Mark Trotzuk, president and CEO. Boardroom has been in business for more than 10 years and is an audited socially compliant company and fair trade manufacturer. “We are at the forefront of environmentally friendly fabric engineering and development,” said Trotzuk. “Our 2007 clothing collection minimizes our negative impact on the environment without compromising quality and performance.” ecoapparel.ca’s 2007 collection includes clothing

With a longstanding tradition of an eco-friendly product line, Toronto-based Ecorite will introduce a line of 100 percent organic cotton tote bags in three styles: the Eco-Tote, the Eco-Shopper and the Eco-Sac. The line will debut at the PPAI Expo in Las Vegas, Jan., 4-6, booth #6652. When asked about the new line, Brij Kapur, president and CEO, commented, “Organics have been in the works for a few years now and we have been actively seeking organic sources that are cost effective. Now that organics are becoming more popular, we have been able to put together some styles that represent the values of ecological