This section provides information on currently available apparel options that can help to move the University of Saskatchewan toward its sustainability goals. Living within the boundaries of our sustainability objectives requires us to apply two main strategies:
Wherever possible CHOOSE products that employ a combination of characteristics listed in the left hand column, and AVOID products that demonstrate characteristic in the right-hand column.
• Recycled fabrics
• Biodegradable dyes
• Certification for fair labour practices
• Organic fibres
• Renewable materials
• Treatment with chlorinebased bleaches
• Wrinkle-resistant materials
Dematerialization requires that we reduce the amount of materials as much as possible; and that we continually move toward the use of
100% recycled content.
Substitution requires that we find less harmful materials to replace those that currently damage and are not recyclable.
Sustainable purchasing is about including social, environmental, financial and performance factors in a systematic way.
It involves thinking about the reasons for using the product (the service) and assessing how these services could be best met. If a product is needed, sustainable purchasing involves considering how products are made, what they are made of, where they come from and how they will be used and disposed.
Finally, remember that this is an evolving document – it will change with new information as our understanding of sustainability impacts and potential solutions improves.
Tel: (306) 966-6704
Email: purchasing.services@usask.ca
Tel: (306) 966-1236
Email: fmd.sustainability@usask.ca
Option:
Strategy: Dematerialization (SO 1, 2, 3)
Choose products made from post-consumer recycled material where the input materials are from products collected after they’ve been used by consumers, for example fleece made from recycled plastic bottles or fabrics from reclaimed clothing materials.
Fibre recycling can involve either chemical recycling, in which materials are chemically dissolved to their precursor chemicals, or mechanical recycling, where the materials are only changed physically. Postconsumer fibres are typically used in products as varied as carpet cushions, absorbents, cleaning cloths, concrete reinforcement, home insulation, fiberfill stuffing, mattress pads/futons, geotextiles, and landscaping fabric.
In chemical recycling, polyester is broken down into DMT (dimethyl terephthalate) and
EG (ethylene glycol) and Nylon 6 is broken down into caprolactam. These precursor chemicals are then purified and used to make new polyester and nylon fibre. Color and small impurities can be removed and the resulting fibre is almost the same as virgin fibre, so it can be used in many applications. However, chemical recycling has limitations on “inputs” as many coatings and fibre blends can contaminate this process and inhibit separation of the precursor chemicals. Because of its closed-loop nature (the waste or by-product of one process or product is used to make another product), chemical recycling is the preferred form of recycling for synthetic materials.
In mechanical recycling the fabric is chopped and shredded down to fibre and spun into yarn again. “Mechanical recycling” can also describe the process of melting synthetics back into resins, then extruding fibre and spinning yarn. As compared to chemical recycling, mechanical recycling can handle a wide variety of fibres, but the output yarn will be a mix of fibre types and colors and the variety of new products that can be made is limited. The fibres are chopped to short lengths during the recycling process, so strength and quality is reduced leaving a yarn most appropriate for sweatshirts or canvas fabrics.
To increase the strength, these shorter fibres need to be blended with synthetic fibres, or longer virgin cotton fibres.
Patagonia’s “Common Threads” program allows the drop off of certain types of used clothing such as Capilene® Performance Baselayers, Patagonia® fleece, Polartec® fleece clothing (from any maker), Patagonia cotton T-shirts, and some additional polyester and nylon 6 products which they remanufacture into new products.
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Sustainable Purchasing Guide 1

Concerns over the use of crude oil as a raw material for polyester thread has led some companies to source yarns and threads made from industrial polyester waste and recycled plastic bottles.
These yarns use as much as 75% less crude oil than virgin fibres, and they divert waste from landfills and “up cycle” it into useful stuff. In the past, recycled polyester thread did not compare well with virgin polyester in terms of availability, performance and price, but these obstacles are being overcome by blending virgin and recycled fabrics, as well as other process changes.
Reusing zippers, sliders, hooks and buttons has the least environmental impact, but there can be issues with quality, durability and strength. New options include sliders and hooks produced from reclaimed polyester resin and buttons produced by recycled thermoplastic polyester resin. Wood used in wooden buttons should follow forestry stewardship regulations or be from reclaimed wood sources.
Some companies such as YKK are introducing environmentally friendly zippers. Products include a zipper made from recycled
PET and a zipper comprised of corn and plant materials that is biodegradable and compostable .
Option:
Strategy: Substitution (SO 1, 2, 3 )
Choose products certified by Oeko-Tex for their use of biodegradable dyes. These certified products pose no human health risks to those working in, or near, the manufacturing plant or for those wearing the clothing, as well as eliminating chemicals which may release pollutants into the waterways and atmosphere.
Bluesign provides independent auditing of textile mills as well.
Bluesign certification ensures companies are providing textile products that are environmentally friendly, pose no health hazards, and conserve resources to the greatest possible extent. manufacturing. Since Fair Trade only certifies the production of the fabric, additional research must be done by the consumer to ensure proper labour laws are followed during the production stage as well.
Option:
Strategy: Substitution – Nature-like (SO 2)
The term organic describes a method of farming that does not use toxic and persistent pesticides or fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation or genetic engineering, and is certified by an accredited independent organization. Organic farming practices reduce reliance on crop inputs and the potential long term impacts associated with some of their use. Many chemical components in fertilizers and pesticides are harmful to humans and the environment and can bioaccumulate in the soils, waterways and atmosphere.
Purchasing organic ensures that synthetic chemicals were not used in the production of the clothing. The Organic Crop
Improvement Association (OCIA) is an organization that acts as a third party in verifying that organic products meet international organic standards.
Cotton is one of the most heavily irrigated and pesticideintensive crops in the world and currently accounts for 25% of the world’s insecticide use and 10% of the world’s pesticide use.
Depending on the products and application methods used, these substances can be carcinogenic and toxic and can contribute to water pollution and illness in workers and wildlife.
Option:
Strategy: Substitution (SO 4)
Organizations such as Fair Labour Association (FLA) and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) certify that proper labour standards are being applied.
Other organizations such as SweatFree Communities: Shop with a Conscience and Clean Clothes Campaign offer a useful consumer guide and company reviews according to their list of requirements, which are similar to those outlined by FLA and
WRAP.
Fair Trade fabric and clothing refers only to the production of the fabric and not to the manufacturing of garments. There are currently no fair trade or ethical certification processes for clothing
Option:
Strategy: Substitution (SO 1, 2, 3)
Fabrics made from renewable resources like hemp, bamboo, wool, linen (made of flax fibres) and Tencel (cellulose fibre from trees) provides a great alternative to cotton and synthetics.
Hemp can be grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, and thrives in our Canadian climate. Hemp is 100% biodegradable and is easily dyed.
Bamboo (the largest member of the grass family) is fast-growing and can thrive without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, or irrigation. Bamboo effectively sequesters atmospheric carbon throughout its lifecycle. Fabric made from bamboo is soft, absorbent, washable and 100% biodegradable. However it should be noted that this product is generally grown in countries that involve long transportation distances to Canada. As well, some of the manufacturing processes can involve the use of chemicals such as carbon disulfide and sodium hydroxide, both associated with health and environmental risks.
continued on page 3 . . .
Sustainable Purchasing Guide 2

Wool from sheep, alpaca, angora, goat and lama is a natural and renewable fibre made of keratin, a tough insoluble protein with a unique structure that gives it natural resistance to sunlight, water, acids, rot and mildew. At the end of its life, wool will biodegrade in soil, releasing valuable nutrients. Manufacturing yarn generally involves the use of hot water treatments and spinning methods but some wool is treated with chemicals in the final stage of processing. Certified organic wools are available.
Linen is a textile made from fibres in the stalk of a flax plant. Linen is renewable and biodegradable, but there may be sustainability impacts associated with the manner in which the flax is grown.
Lyocell/Tencel is made of the cellulose extracted from trees – usually Birch or Oak. It is soft, gentle, durable, biodegradable, and machine washable. The cellulose is extracted from the wood pulp with N-Methylmorpholine N-oxide (NMNO). NMNO is a mildly toxic solvent that has no known accumulative effects and is approximately 99.6% recovered and reused during processing.
This nearly closed-loop process creates minimal emissions. In order for Tencel to be a sustainable fibre it is important to source the conditions in which the suppliers’ wood pulp was manufactured and whether it was harvested responsibly. burns to the skin and eyes, respiratory problems and lead to liver or kidney damage. When discharged into wastewater, chlorine can interact with other compounds to form chlorinated organic compounds (COCs), which are persistent in nature and increase in concentration. Some chlorinated organics are also known carcinogens.
Look for manufacturers that use less harmful alternatives to bleach such as hydrogen peroxide.
Strategy: Substitution (SO 2)
Wrinkle-resistant (permanent press) clothing is generally treated with formaldehyde or a formaldehyde derivate. Formaldehyde is applied with heat so it is trapped in the fibre permanently.
Formaldehyde is listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable cancer-causing agent. Formaldehyde derivatives are less toxic but can still release formaldehyde as they break down.
Strategy: Substitution – nature-like (SO 2)
Chlorine bleach is commonly used as both a dye and a precolour treatment. Chlorine bleach can have negative impacts for both human health and the environment. Chlorine can cause
Strategy: Substitution (SO 1)
Another area to consider in clothing manufacturing is to ensure that the purchase and shipment of clothing adheres to the guidelines outlined for Sustainable Transportation.
At a basic level, clothing provides protection from the climate and environmental elements.
Clothing at the University of Saskatchewan is purchased for a variety of reasons such as retail items for sale, uniforms, identification for colleges/departments, sports teams, conferences, student clubs and summer camps.
Clothing may be made of natural materials such as cotton, bamboo, hemp, wool, linen and Tencel, or man-made materials , such as Rayon and Acetate which is made from wood and are therefore not truly synthetic. Synthetic man-made fibres include nylon, acrylic, polyester, or spandex. Clothing can also be made from combinations of these materials.
Some types of clothing are treated with chemicals, such as formaldehyde, to encourage wrinkle or stain resistance.
Dyes or colorants can be produced from biodegradable, chemically neutral materials or a variety of toxic chemicals.
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Sustainable Purchasing Guide 3

i. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances from the earth’s crust?
• Some of the inks and dyes used in apparel contain heavy metals . These are released into nature when clothing is incinerated or begins to breakdown in nature.
ii. …systematically increasing concentrations of substances produced by society?
• The production of cotton or flax for use in fabrics can involve the use of crop inputs (herbicides, fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides etc) which may bioaccumulate in soils and water-ways.
• Chlorine is commonly used as both a dye and a pre-colour treatment. Chlorine bleach, releases harmful chemicals into the waterways which are persistent in nature and accumulate over time. Chlorine based bleaches can also burn the skin and eyes, cause respiratory problems and lead to liver or kidney damage. When discharged into wastewater, chlorine can interact with other compounds to form chlorinated organic compounds (COCs), which are persistent in nature and increase in concentration. Some chlorinated organics are also known carcinogens.
• Some wrinkle and stain-resistant clothing is treated with formaldehyde . According to the International Agency for
Research on Cancer, formaldehyde is a cancer-causing substance and classifies it as a probable human carcinogen. It is also suspected that formaldehyde causes allergic reactions in a significant part of the population. The primary ways that people are exposed to it are through inhalation or absorption through the skin.
• Sports shirts use PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) , which is not biodegradable. In addition, PVC requires the addition of
Phthalates to soften it up. Phthalates are easily released into the environment because there is no covalent bond between the phthalates and plastics in which they are mixed.
Phthalates can be either released into the environment through off gassing or by leaching out of the vinyl product and be absorbed through the skin. High doses of phthalates can cause disruption to hormone levels and birth defects.
Phthalates are also suspected carcinogens.
• Optical brighteners are chemicals that reflect light and make clothes look bright and resolve color unevenness.
Many optical brighteners are made using stilbene , which is toxic to fish, and can cause allergic reactions when in contact with skin.
• Making polyester from virgin or recycled material requires a chemical process involving a catalyst. The most common catalyst is a heavy metal called antimony. Though it doesn’t pose any risk with exposure to the fabrics, there are concerns about the environmental impact of heavy metal processing.
A benign, more environmentally friendly catalyst is being sought, but currently one does not exists.
iii. …systematically degrading nature by physical means?
• Petroleum is also used as a feedstock for many synthetic fibres, such as polyester. Petroleum is a material that must be mechanically extracted which can be destructive to local ecosystems. Impacts can include deforestation, displacement and disruption of animal populations and chemical pollution.
iv. …systematically undermining people’s ability to meet their basic human needs?
• Petrochemicals, used in clothing and dyes, can mimic human steroid hormones (sex hormones) causing birth defects and decreased male fertility.
• Depending on the standards of the manufacturer in the textile industry the employees at the clothing and textile industry may or may not be protected by labour standards that meet international guidelines. This leaves the employees vulnerable to unfair labour prices, child labour violations, unsafe working conditions and many other forms of abuse.
• The production of cotton harvesting relies on heavy use of pesticides and herbicides. Depending on the chemical and application systems used, workers may suffer health impacts including damage to the nervous system, damage to the endocrine system, various types of cancer, and skin and eye irritation. Similarly, pesticides can impact the environment , poisoning wildlife, leeching into water sources and exhausting the soil’s ability to regenerate nutrients quickly.
• Production of other raw materials, such as flax for linen or raising animals for wool, may also involve the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that can have negative health effects .
• A number of the chemicals used to create synthetic fibres, dye fabrics, or process fibre for apparel materials (e.g. formaldehyde, chlorine bleach, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and sulfur oxides) can have negative human health effects.
Sustainability requires that materials be kept within natural cycles
(where materials can be easily assimilated by nature) or tight technical cycles (where materials can be reused indefinitely in processes that do not move us away from our sustainability objectives).
Sustainable apparel would not contribute to systematic increases of substances extracted from the earth’s crust, or of human-made substances. This means that it would either (1) not contain any substances that could systematically increase in nature or (2) that these substances would be taken back and re-used entirely. continued on page 5 . . .
Sustainable Purchasing Guide 4

The material and dyes used in producing apparel would either be produced from bio-based materials that natural ecosystems can easily assimilate, or be 100% recycled. The energy used for extracting raw materials, producing and transporting the apparel would be generated from sustainable renewable sources in a carbon-neutral way, so that no carbon was allowed to systematically increase in the atmosphere and biosphere.
Materials used in the manufacturing of clothing that require harvesting would be done in a sustainable way that does not exhaust the soil of nutrients or eliminate biodiversity of the area.
In addition any harvest of tree or grass products, such as Tencel or
Bamboo, must be harvested in a sustainable manner that allows the plants time to recover lost populations.
The ideal wardrobe is free of toxic chemicals and made with organic, sustainable fibres by people working under fair and ethical conditions.
To identify the best options, review the Current Options on page one and choose the most appropriate alternative by using the following three criteria for assessment: a) Does the product or service move us in the right direction with regards to our four Sustainability Objectives?
b) Does the product or service create a flexible platform for the next step toward sustainability?
c) Is the decision financially viable?
1. York University – Code of Conduct for Licensees.
www.yorku.ca/secretariat/licensing/Forms/
Lic%20Code%20of%20Conduct.pdf
2. SweatFree Communities.
www.sweatfree.org
3. Trent University Fair Trade Policy for Apparel.
www.trentu.ca/admin/sweatshop/
4. Market Applications for Recycled Postconsumer Fibers.
www.fcs.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/27/3/320
5. Dyes and Finishes for fashion and Fabric.
www.conscientiousshopper.com.au/ dyesfinishes/4530108402
6. Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production.
http://www.wrapapparel.org/
7. Fair Labour Association.
www.fairlabor.org/images/FLAAffiliates/fla_student_ brochure_final.pdf
8. SweatFree Communities.
www.sweatfree.org/wsguide
9. No Sweat.
www.nosweatapparel.com
10. Bluesign certification program.
www.bluesign.com/
11. Mountain Coop Equipment – Looking closely at Fabric.
www.mec.ca/Main/content_text.jsp?FOLDER
%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302886090&bmUID=
1243371029028
12. Oeko Tex certicification.
www.oeko-tex.com/OekoTex100_PUBLIC/content5.asp?ar
ea=hauptmenue&site=oekotexstandard100&cls=02
13. YKK Zipper types.
www.ykkeurope.com/zippers.php
14. Patagonia – Clean Clothes Campaign.
www.patagonia.com/usa/patagonia.go?assetid=1956
15. Clothes from Scrap.
www.clothesmadefromscrap.com/
This guide was made possible through the generosity of the
Whistler 2012 project, which shared its template and much of its research.
Sustainable Purchasing Guide 5