This past Monday, June 5th, was World Environmental Day. Here at Movement we believe that every day is environmental day, that is why we have dedicated ourselves to creating clothing that has a sustainable future.
While big business remains one of the biggest culprits in environmental destruction, it's our impact as individuals that we can not only control, but may have the most far reaching effects as far as how we can turn things around.
Saving the environment can seem like an overwhelming task, but on a personal basis it's the little things we do daily that can have the most impact on the environment. Award winning writer Amanda Euringer - whose series on toxins in the workplace was nominated for a National Magazine Award - outlines two simple changes we can make that will have a big impact on the environment.
1)Vote with your wallet.
This is possibly the easiest way we have as individuals to change the world around us. Paying attention to what we support with our money can turn the tide of companies and products that are wasteful or have a heavy toxic load. Pay attention to who and what you are supporting every time you take out your wallet. Money really does shape our world. Take a little time to look into the companies you are supporting: do they have a mission statement that they stand behind? Do they give back? Are they trying to operate in the greenest way possible?
The image below shows one of the micro loans that Movement Global has contributed to via the Pamoja Foundation
2) Use less
In her series on Toxics: Your Right To Know, Ms. Euringer discovered that one of the major culprits in the toxic load on our environment was overuse. Scott Stove, who was the manager of facilities services for Burnaby School District 41, noticed that by freehand pouring cleaning supplies into buckets, most people ( including himself) were far exceeding the recommended amount suggested on the labels. Simply by putting single use pumps heads on all their cleaning supplies, the maintenance department for the school district of Burnaby managed to cut the amount of toxins going into their environment by over 2/3's - and they saved money. Lots of money.
Many of us free pour products like shampoo, dish soap, and cleaning supplies without ever reading a label. Using less doesn't just mean using your car less, it also means using less of everything you buy, especially cleaning supplies, but also clothing. Even the greenest clothing has an impact on the environment. Everything we make and use affects the world around us. Less not more means making sure that you are using the least amount necessary, and maybe spending a little more for something that will last longer.
What is Movement Global doing to save the environment?
When this company was started over a decade ago, Amrita Sondhi had a vision of total sustainability in mind. She wanted a company that produced clothing that was the greenest possible, and that would give back to the world on a social level as well.
One tank, four looks. Our WT3 Sonoka Tank can be worn back to front, with crossover or straight straps, and paired with any of our wraps for a multitude of looks.
- Less not more is our motto: we make clothing that has lasted up to a decade and beyond! By sourcing the highest quality fabric available, and using high quality thread, our clothing stands the test of time.
- Modular means each piece does more: You don't need two pairs of pants if one pair can be worn two ways. This is the same process we apply to each piece in our line. They either are reversible ( sometimes in several ways), multi-style, or have been designed to create other styles with our line.
- We offset our environmental impact on a social level. By giving back with the Pamoja foundation, we are helping those in the poorest countries create sustainable businesses for themselves. Poverty also has a direct impact on the environment , and not the least because it lessens the choices that people can make with their wallets.
While cleaning up big business is a good long term goal, ultimately we have the power to change our environment simply by using our wallets to hold businesses accountable, and by choosing to change how we consume products in the first place.