Let’s spread the green news

In a recent report published in Nature Climate Change, researchers found that further glacial mass loss can no longer be prevented this century - even if all emissions were to cease - and will likely continue well beyond the 21st century. They estimated that at least 36% of all glacial ice will melt even under the most optimistic emission scenario, with significant implications on anticipated sea level rise.

April 16, 2018

Attention Scandinavian Swappers: Make space on your calendar the 14th of April and start digging through your closets for tradeable clothes - the Nordic Swap Day has come again! Hundreds of swap markets are planned by various actors, so for more information and to find an event near you, visit the websites of Naturskyddsforeningen.se for Sweden, Byttemarked.nu for Denmark and Naturvernforbundet.no for Norway.

April 9, 2018

In our last issue’s article “Save Our Seas,” we covered the threat of plastic pollution to marine environments, and what people are doing about it. Researchers have now determined that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is up to 16 times larger than first estimated – covering an area two to three times the size of France.

April 3, 2018

California state assembly member Richard Bloom has introduced a new bill that, if passed, would require all clothing containing more than 50% synthetic fiber to have a label that clearly warns of the threat microfibers pose to the environment. Bloom was also the author of the state’s successful microbead ban, which was later passed into federal law.

March 26, 2018

The European Outdoor Group has added two more guides to its sustainability library, “The Recycled Down Guide” and “The Chemicals in Textile Production Guide,” which are available for download on their website. A third guide, “The Recycled Wool Guide,” is still in development and is expected to be released late March.

Mars 19, 2018

The Sustainable Fashion Academy in Stockholm is arranging what they call the world’s first online course in sustainable apparel. The course Sustainability Fundamentals will be held at three different times, with start dates on 29 January (Term 1), 3 April (Term 2) and 17 September (Term 3).

January 18, 2018

From February to May 2018, Europe's biggest clean-up event will take place throughout the continent. The campaign “Let's clean up Europe,” which has been organized by the European Commission since 2009, aims to inspire activists and organizations across Europe to come together and collect garbage.

January 05, 2018

In a move that its makers claim will reduce audit fatigue and improve performance benchmarking, the Sustainable Apparel Coalition has launched an updated version of its transparency tool known as Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM). The self-assessment module is used by 8,000 businesses globally.

December 15, 2017

In conjunction with America Recycles Day, Unifi Inc. introduced the Repreve Champions of Sustainability Award on November 15. The award acknowledges companies that produce sustainable products using Repreve performance fibers made from recycled PET bottles. 2017’s winners will be announced at the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market in Denver, USA.

December 1, 2017

The Swedish retailer Naturkompaniet decided to do their own version of Black Friday – no sales or discounts, but instead a free cup of coffee to every visitor. And also free waxing of their trekking boots, to those who wanted. With 32 stores around Sweden, Naturkompaniet is Scandinavia’s largest outdoor retailer.

November 24, 2017

The down manufacturer Downlite has announced three new down-fill products for 2018. These innovations, known as Re/charged down, Repreve-down blend, Wool-Down Halo, feature traceable wool and GRS certified recycled down and polyester, and are said to provide unprecedented performance for 100% recycled materials.

November 23, 2017

The Antarctic nations fall short on marine protection, claims Greenpeace. To put pressure on the governments, Greenpeace now launches a campaign to create the “largest protected area on Earth”, and protect whales, penguins and other wildlife. The Antarctic Sanctuary, in the Weddell Sea next to the Antarctic peninsula, would be five times the size of Germany.

October 27, 2017