Organic clothing may not leave much of a carbon footprint on the Earth, but it is leaving a green mark on the retail industry.
And in Colorado the tracks can be traced to stores like Green Logic in Fort Collins, where eco-conscious students have the best of both worlds: fashionable items that don’t waste resources, like backpacks made from recycled billboards and briefcases made from old street signs, clothing manufactured from Earth-friendly 100 percent organic cotton and binders produced from old computer parts.
“Shopping green is more tangible, real and more practical now,” says co-owner Colleen Barricklow, who modeled her business after green stores on the West Coast. “It’s as easy as stopping by Wal-Mart or whatever for gifts or clothes.”
This year, the average student will burn $231.80 on back-to-school clothing, contributing to the $18.4 billion in projected sales, the National Retail Federation reports.
But is shopping green going to put back-to-school shoppers in the red?
The short answer is maybe.
Buying 100 percent organic clothing will cost more because only a small percentage of the cotton industry is dedicated to growing organic cotton; conventional cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop, says Carrie Allen, director of catalog merchandising for Broomfield-based Gaiam, an online retailer of Earth-friendly products.
But people wanting to shop organically without depleting their cash too much can purchase items made from a blend of organic and non-organic materials, she says. “Simple choices make a difference. It drives demand,” Allen says, referencing retail giant Wal- Mart’s 2006 move into apparel and linens that are made from 100 percent organic cotton, Earth-friendly fibers like bamboo, or organic cotton and polyester blends. “Even if you’re not buying the 100 percent T-shirt, it’s telling Wal- Mart or whoever that you’re interested.”
Gaiam saw the trend toward living green explode after the release of Al Gore’s book and documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It.”
But Steven Hoffman, interim executive director for the Organic Center in Boulder, which promotes organic farming and products through peer-reviewed research, says it’s a trend that’s been picking up steam since the 1970s.
Hoffman says one doesn’t have to sacrifice to live organically. “A savvy consumer who shops the sales can save money by using coupons just like any shopper anywhere.”
Tired of shelling out money for rising gas prices and other natural energy, Jody Hamilton, a senior at Colorado State University, says it’s easy being green.
Although stores like Green Logic and online businesses like Gaiam appeal to her, Hamilton, who cycles an average of 40 miles per week to work, says she lives the green life by shopping the racks of local thrift shops, recycling school supplies year to year, borrowing some of her textbooks from the library and buying organic produce and eco-friendly cleaning supplies.
“It’s kinda like a diet to me,” Hamilton says. “If you want to eat better you have to do it for the rest of your life, and if you want to go green it should be a lifestyle change too.”
