Greening Up My Act: A Sustainable Living Podcast

In this episode, hosts Kat and Tiffany explore slow fashion clothing brand Hope for Flowers, built by designer Tracy Reese. Learn how the slow fashion movement offers more sustainable clothing choices, what it costs, and how Tracy Reese is using her resources to support the local art scene in Detroit. Also, learn about Tiffany's early lessons following a layoff.

Sources

• Hope for Flowers: https://www.hopeforflowers.com
• Hope for Flowers Sustainability Page: https://hopeforflowers.com/pages/sustainability
• Good On You: https://goodonyou.eco/what-is-slow-fashion/
• Printful: https://help.printful.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409129698962-How-is-print-on-demand-more-sustainable-than-traditional-manufacturing

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It's right there in the name: ethical silk. But what does that mean? And can "cruelty-free sleepwear" be sustainable? Find out as we look into the Ethical Sleep Company and their eco claims, from peace silk production to Fair Trade Certification and beyond.

Sources

• Ethical Silk Company website: https://theethicalsilkco.com/ 
• World Fair Trade Organization: https://wfto.com/our-fair-trade-system/our-10-principles-of-fair-trade/ 
• Mehera Shaw, their chosen fair trade workshop: https://meherashaw.com/pages/manufacture 
• Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/08/01/when-fair-trade-isnt-fair-why-you-should-consider-direct-trade/
• Nature Sustainability: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0311-5.epdf 
• Corporate Accountability Lab: https://corpaccountabilitylab.org/calblog/2021/5/20/fair-trade-usa-amp-the-failures-of-eco-social-certificationnbsp 
• Treehugger: https://www.treehugger.com/silk-sustainable-impact-5094158 

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Underwear is the foundation of your wardrobe, and what you wear down there can have a bigger impact on your health than other pieces of clothing. So is it worth it to go organic for your women's undies? Take a look at Pact and their 100% organic cotton with us this week. 

Sources:

• Healthline - https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/underwear-hygiene
• The Good Trade - https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/ethical-lingerie-brands/
• MATE the Label on Why Organic Intimates Matter - https://matethelabel.com/blogs/mate-journal/why-organic-intimates-matter-a-conversation-with-fertility-specialist-dr-sasha-hakman
• Good On You: Pact - https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/pact
• Pact’s website - https://wearpact.com/women/underwear/undies
• Pact’s Sustainability site - https://wearpact.com/sustainability
• Simplizero - https://simplizero.com/
• Fair Trade Certified - https://www.fairtradecertified.org/
• Vela - https://www.vela.eco/

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In the era of athleisurewear and comfort clothing, should you sweat buying organic cotton leggings? We take a look at MATE the Label and see if their sustainability claims hold up.

Sources

• The Good Trade: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/mate-the-label-activewear-review/ 
• Change Climate Project: https://www.changeclimate.org/standards and https://explore.changeclimate.org/brand/mate-the-label 
• MATE The Label’s website: https://matethelabel.com/pages/about and https://matethelabel.com/pages/2020-impact-report 
• Good On You review: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/mate-the-label 
• Certified B Corp: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/mate-the-label/ 
• Jungmaven: https://jungmaven.com/collections/womens-activewear 
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ethicalfashion/comments/1e3ci80/avoid_mate_the_label_at_all_cost/ 
• Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/matethelabel.com 

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It's our 100th episode! Most podcasts don't make it past three, so we're pretty proud of ourselves. Pop the bubbly and join us on a retrospective of all we've learned and what we're looking forward to. And THANK YOU for listening all this time!

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We may be the only podcast currently in existence that isn't sponsored by Quince. They bill themselves as providing quality, sustainable items at an affordable price. Is that possible? Find out this week as we take a look at Quince and their sustainability claims (and likely lose out on any hope of ever being sponsored by them, ever). 

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Sources

• Quince website: https://www.quince.com 
• The Business of Fashion Podcast: Can Fashion Still Meet Its Climate Promises?: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/can-fashion-still-meet-its-climate-promises/id1225204588?i=1000737458578 
• Good On You (brand rating): https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/quince 
• Commons: Instead of Quince, Try These 5 Sustainable Brands: https://www.thecommons.earth/blog/instead-of-quince-try-these-5-sustainable-brands 
• Toad&Co: https://www.toadandco.com/pages/sustainability
• Ecocult: https://ecocult.com/quince-ethical-sustainable-greenwashing/ 
• NYTimes Wirecutter:https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/my-month-testing-quince-products/

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What if, instead of mindlessly buying another new outfit, you could just rent it? And what if you could stop the fashion industry from making up 10% of global emissions every year from manufacturing new clothing by stopping their need to make that new clothing? Take a look at Rent the Runway this week to find out if renting your clothes will solve all your green-living fashion problems, or just cause new ones.

Sources:
- Rent the Runway sustainability - https://www.renttherunway.com/impact
- Vogue UK – Is Renting Your Clothes Really More Sustainable? - https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/is-renting-your-clothes-really-more-sustainable
- MIT - https://sustainable.mit.edu/rentalclothing/
- Mother Jones - https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2021/07/renting-runway-clothes-environmental-problems-fast-fashion-study-climate-change/

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Kids grow up so fast, but you've gotta' keep 'em clothed. Can supposedly sustainable children's clothing brands like Hanna Andersson meet the needs of eco-minded parents? Find out what sustainability claims are legit and which ones are just green hooey in our first episode of season nine. 

Sources 

• The Good Trade: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/organic-baby-clothes/
• Journal of Textile Science and Fashion Technology “mini review”: https://irispublishers.com/jtsft/fulltext/a-review-sustainable-material-selection-for-childrens-wear.ID.000708.php 
• Wirecutter, NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/is-organic-cotton-better-for-the-environment/ 
• The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/mar/20/cost-cotton-water-challenged-india-world-water-day 
• Trustpilot: https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.hannaandersson.com
• Hanna Anderson FAQ: https://www.hannaandersson.com/faqs.html?srsltid=AfmBOopAQKYHbtsIFFaAR03jx11CxJdcl9_wTxmQbE9j3eE5r9nZPdeS 
• Hanna Anderson sustainability page: https://www.hannaandersson.com/sustainability.html 
• Good On You: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/hanna-andersson 
• NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8755403/ 

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**Ruby was Tiffany’s wonderful dog who went over the rainbow bridge this season. This Thanksgiving episode goes out to her. **

Want to have a less expensive and less wasteful Thanksgiving meal this year? Ok, we can’t promise it’ll be the best Thanksgiving ever, but we can give you tips to reduce how much food you waste and the overall cost of the meal. Plus, get some of our favorite recipes for day-of and leftovers in the last episode of this season. Bonus: ASMR pretzel eating!

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Sources:

• University of Minnesota: https://sustainable.umn.edu/thanksgiving 
• NRDC Guestimator tool: https://savethefood.com/guestimator 
• Hungry Harvest: https://hungryharvest.net/blog/2017/11/9/the-makings-of-a-zero-waste-holiday
• Move for Hunger: https://moveforhunger.org/blog/mindful-meals-cultivating-low-waste-thanksgiving-meal 
• Going Zero Waste: https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/ways-to-use-your-thanksgiving-leftovers/ 
• Sugar Spun Run (recipe): https://sugarspunrun.com/homemade-cranberry-sauce/#recipe
• Add a Pinch (recipe): https://addapinch.com/turkey-salad-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-31953 
• NPR https://www.nprillinois.org/2024-11-15/is-it-ok-to-keep-reheating-leftovers-honest-questions-about-food-safety-illustrated
• Ohio State https://health.osu.edu/wellness/exercise-and-nutrition/cooling-pasta-changes-starch

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PFAS and other "forever chemicals" have been around a long time, but in recent years, they've been getting a lot of news. What are they? Why are they scary? And can you avoid getting them in your food? Get the scoop with a dash of measured hope in this week's episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

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Sources

• NIH - Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) - https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/pfc
• EPA - Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS - https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas
• EPA - Meaningful and Achievable Steps You Can Take to Reduce Your RIsk - https://www.epa.gov/pfas/meaningful-and-achievable-steps-you-can-take-reduce-your-risk
• BBC Science Focus - Forever Chemicals Are Now in Half of Your Fruits and Vegetables - https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/forever-chemicals-food-risks
• The Guardian - It’s Almost Impossible to Eliminate Toxic PFAS From Your Diet - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/22/pfas-forever-chemicals-diet
• FDA - Questions and Answers on PFAS in Food - https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/questions-and-answers-pfas-food
• ITRC - History and Use of PFAS Found in the Environment - https://pfas-1.itrcweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/history_and_use_508_2020Aug_Final.pdf
• NIH - The Devil They Knew - Chemical Documents Analysis of Industry Influence on PFAS Science - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10237242/
• ELG Law - https://www.elglaw.com/faq/most-pfas-contaminated-states/
• Consumer Reports - https://www.consumerreports.org/water-contamination/how-to-get-pfas-out-of-your-drinking-water-a7303943293/

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