There was a time when being ‘green’, or caring about the environment was practically frowned upon. Recycling was just a hassle not many could be bothered with and you really didn’t think twice about how much packaging was on your food or under what conditions your clothes were made, let alone what they were made out of.

But now that’s all changed and on the whole people are more aware of the effects their actions have on the environment. These days it’s trendy to be wearing an organic, Fair Trade T-shirt (at least that’s what my Dad told me when he wore one the other weekend) and likewise, not so cool to just carelessly throw all your rubbish into one bin.

But these changes aren’t just happening in the home – businesses are taking action too. Take Marks & Spencer’s plans to become carbon neutral within the next five years, which, by the way, includes using more Fair trade cotton and polyester clothing made from recycled plastic bottles instead of oil. When major companies like that show they are taking the issue so seriously, it raises the bar for everybody else.

Now Topshop is stocking a range of Fair Trade and ecological clothing from People Tree, and as all the fashionistas among us know, what Topshop does, everybody else copies.

Not that I’m suggesting the printwear industry will merely follow in the footsteps of the retail and fashion industries, I hasten to add. Many printwear companies have already joined the ‘green revolution’ and are producing organic, ethical and Fair Trade ranges, with great success. But what are the issues that need to be considered? In a new series starting this month, Juliet Bacon from Epona Clothing will look at what’s involved in organic, ethical production; from manufacturing and labour standards to printing and packaging. See the first article, giving an overview of the green movement, on page 42.

And for any business interested in becoming more ethically aware or environmentally friendly, Paul Clapham’s article on pages 44-45 will tell you all you need to know and the changes you need to make. It might make you realise it’s not as difficult as it seems. Not only that, but it can prove to be good for business.

While we’re on the subject of making changes, I’d like to tell you about a few being made on the magazine in the next couple of months. Readers and advertisers will be pleased to see an improvement in the paper stock as of June, which will be linked with a move back to an A4 size. A front cover re-design is also underway. And I hope you will all notice and approve of the design changes that have been implemented for this issue.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you of that Printwear & Promotion is the only journal in this industry to have an ABC audited circulation. The latest research shows that 85% of media buyers prefer to use ABC audited titles. Why? Because it guarantees that the circulation has been independently verified. In short, they can trust the figures. Happy reading!

Rebecca Green

rgreen@datateam.co.uk

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