May 15, 2012 – Morgantown, West Virginia – SustainU, a leading producer of apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA, today announced its partnership with the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and the One For All Clothing Drive to be held in conjunction with the 2012 festival in Manchester, Tennessee.

“We are very excited to bring the One for All Clothing Drive to Bonnaroo and to help music lovers and their communities become more aware of the benefits of textile recycling,” said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. “Bonnaroo is leading the way in sustainable practices for concerts and events and this partnership helps everyone to have a better understanding of the impact clothing can have on our communities and our future.”

The One for All Program is a SustainU initiative that provides consumer discounts and prizes in exchange for used clothing. Donations are given locally to support those in need.

“Many people do not realize that donated textiles not only reduce the waste stream to our landfills, but also often support job training programs,” said Rich Goodstone, Bonnaroo Partner. “The One for All Clothing Drive benefits everyone and makes a positive difference for both our planet and people.”

For each bag of clothes donated, patrons will receive vouchers that can be redeemed for various prizes at the Clean Vibes Trading Post, an existing program at Bonnaroo which provides incentives to patrons who collect recycling from festival grounds. “The Clean Vibes Trading Post is excited to be partnering with Sustain U at this year’s Bonnaroo. Sustain U’s products exemplify a concept about which we strive to educate festival patrons. This is the concept of ‘closing the loop’ – reusing items that might otherwise be landfilled and turning them into usable goods.” Said Anna Borosky, President of Clean Vibes Trading Post, Inc. Clothing will be accepted at locations near the entrance to Centeroo at the 2012 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, TN from June 7-10. All donations will benefit local charities.

For more information on SustainU’s One for All Program and how you can participate visit SustainUclothing.com/one or contact SustainU’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, Tiffany Newcomb at 304-413-416.

###

About Bonnaroo (Bonnaroo.com)

Set on 700 acres in Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo is a four-day festival that draws 80,000 fans every summer. Featuring over 120 musical performances, along with comedy, cinema, sustainability workshops and more, the grounds are converted into a virtual city of music and art. The legendary event began in 2002 as a remarkable idea to serve a passionate fanbase, and ended up becoming the premier multi-day concert destination of the summer which dynamic and eclectic programming paved the way for the age of the great American music festival. Bonnaroo has now evolved into becoming much more than just a concert destination; it has become a cultural touchstone and, for two generations of music fans, a rite of passage. Bonnaroo has served as a launching pad for such popular artists as Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Robert Randolph, My Morning Jacket, Ray Lamontagne, Matisyahu, and many others. A creative and cultural mega-success, Bonnaroo has featured a staggeringly diverse range of world-class acts such as Bob Dylan, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Radiohead, Jay-Z, Phish, Eminem, Willie Nelson, The Police, Pearl Jam, David Byrne, Tom Petty, The Black Keys, Tool, Wilco, The Dave Matthews Band, James Brown, The White Stripes, Al Green, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, The Dead, Mumford & Sons, Widespread Panic, Death Cab For Cutie, Elvis Costello, Ornette Coleman, Amadou and Mariam, Beck, TV on the Radio, Against Me!, Merle Haggard, Florence & The Machine, Phoenix, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant, Bright Eyes, Bonnie Raitt, Lil’ Wayne, Steve Earle, Jurassic 5, Modest Mouse, The Mars Volta, Deerhunter, Common, Burning Spear, the Flaming Lips, among many others.

About Clean Vibes Trading Post, Inc. (cleanvibestradingpost.org)

Clean Vibes Trading Post, Inc. operates exchange centers at large outdoor events throughout the United States. The cans and bottles attendees collect become the “currency”, and the more recycling gathered, the more valuable items participants can “purchase.” Providing event attendees with immediate rewards enables us to directly engage people in the clean up process, educate them about the importance of recycling, and eliminate as much of the event’s waste as possible from the landfill.

Chris Yura, Founder and CEO of SustainU was kind to answer a few of our questions, as he prepares for the 2012 Sustainable Brands Conference in San Diego on June 4-7. “The Sustainable Brands Conference is where sustainability, brand and innovation leaders from around the world gather to learn, share and take action together to shape the future.” A wide range of brands and consumer industries (and over 150 speakers) will come together to explore market drivers and strategies for developing brand value for sustainability.

Read the full story at: The Green Stylist

Many women like Kavitha are caught up in a dangerous but prevalent system called the Sumangali Scheme, which targets young women and their families by promising a lump sum payment of about US $500-1,000 for three years of work. The money is intended for use by the family to pay the girl’s dowry and enable her to get married.  However, a lack of regulation in the region can lead to the exploitation of these women, who often work and live in dangerous conditions and sometimes receive much less money than initially promised.

Learn more about the causes, impact and possible solutions for the Sumangali Scheme in a new research report written by Solidaridad with support from the Fair Labor Association: Understanding the Sumangali Scheme in Tamil Nadu’s Textile & Garment Industry.

May 8, 2012 – Morgantown, West Virginia – Florida State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University have been declared the Big Shirt on Campus for collecting the most clothing during this year’s oneShirt Challenge, the nation’s largest collegiate clothing drive. Students at Florida State donated over 3 tons of used clothing and apparel to support local charities. Oklahoma Panhandle State University collected over 3000 pounds, a whopping 2 pounds per student, to win in that category.

“We are very excited to finish our second year of the oneShirt Challenge knowing that more students and their communities are becoming aware of the benefits of textile recycling,” said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. “It is important for future generations that we be creative in the use of all available resources. Many people don’t know that recycling and donating clothing can help support job training programs as well as divert billions of tons of waste from our landfills each year.”

The oneSHIRT National Collegiate Clothing Challenge is the nation’s largest collegiate clothing drive, mobilizing thousands of students and households across the US. Campus groups rallied their campus and community to donate used clothing to benefit local charities and job training programs.

2012 Quick Stats [approximate]

Schools Participating: 110
Schools Reporting: 49
States: 40
Volunteers Mobilized: 730
Pounds Collected: 37,666
Homes Donating: 8,000

Top 5 Schools [overall poundage]

Florida State University [FL]: 6019 pounds
West Virginia University [WV]: 4846 pounds
Oklahoma Panhandle State University [OK]: 3113 pounds
Creighton University [NE]: 2682 pounds
Bryant University [RI]: 1789 pounds

Top 5 Schools [per student poundage

Oklahoma Panhandle State University [OK]: 2 pounds/student
Hilbert College [NY]: 0.496 pounds/student
Bryant University [RI]: 0.495 pounds/student
Creighton University [NE]: 0.347 pounds/student
Westminster College [UT]: 0.343 pounds/student

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will award the Grand Prize of 24, four-day passes and premium camping to the 2012 festival to Florida State University. Additionally, Florida State University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University will receive 50, 100% recycled, made in the USA SustainU shirts for their group or club.

By Kelsey

To celebrate the release of the new updated and revised edition of Where Am I Wearing? I’m celebrating apparel companies that are making a difference by conducting two weeks of giveaways. Each day I’ll highlight a company and then giveaway an item of theirs at 7PM (ish). To enter, leave a comment in that day’s blog post or on Facebook. Winner will be randomly selected.

Enter a Comment here to win a SustainU Shirt

Your T-shirt is dirty.

It’s covered in water. According to SustainU, today’s induction into Kelsey’s Closet, it takes over 40,000 liters of water to make one shirt. By 2025 two-thirds of people in our planet will live under water-stressed conditions.

It’s dirtier than steel. Between manufacturing and transportation, the average shirt contributes air pollutants that weigh 12 times more than the shirt. Manufacturing a shirt releases 6 times more air pollutants than manufacturing an equal amount of steal.

It’s covered in gas. One XL polyester shirt uses 2 gallons of gas.

It’s cancerous. The inks in most shirts have a known carcinogen.

And guess how many pounds of clothes the average American throws away each year. Seriously, guess. Here’s an ellipsis for you think of a number…

Here’s another one …

Got it? The average American throws away 68 lbs of clothing each year! So take all of the crazy numbers above and multiply them by 68 (that’s if each shirt weighs 1 lb; they weigh less). You’re throwing away 2.72 million gallons of water and 136 gallons of gas.

Now I’m pro-environment as the next guy, but I’m more anti-me-being-naked. I’m not going to stop wearing clothes. So what can we do?

Read full article at: WhereAmIWearing.com

April 18, 2012 – Morgantown, West Virginia – SustainU, a leading producer of apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA, today announced that the Army & Air Force Exchange Service will be featuring its graphic Tees in 35 of its largest stores for Earth Day.

“We are very excited to be partnering with the Exchange to bring a made-in-the-USA product to our troops and their families,” said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. “We know that our military families will be excited to support American job creation and to buy products that employ green innovation and technology.”

With apparel made in North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, SustainU has reopened old factories and created jobs for hundreds of previously unemployed textile workers. Local manufacturing and recycled textile innovations have also contributed to dramatic environmental savings. Made from 100% recycled materials, old plastic bottles and cotton scraps, SustainU is able to conserve half a gallon of gasoline, thousands of liters of water and up to 12kg of CO2 emissions per pound of fabric.

“We are proud to support the Exchange’s commitment to sustainability,” said Trey Dunham, SustainU’s Vice President of Corporate Communication. “The Exchange stores are setting the standard for exceptional environmental stewardship in the military resale community and we look forward to a long relationship going forward.”

National Media Contact: 
Trey Dunham, SustainU
trey@sustainUclothing.com
304-413-0416

Local Media Contact: 
CLICK HERE for complete list of schools and local media contacts.

SustainU’s 2012 Initiative is the Largest Collegiate Clothing Drive in the U.S.

April 16, 2012 – Morgantown, WV – SustainU, a leading producer of made in the USA, 100% recycled clothing, today announced the start of its 2012 oneShirt Challenge, the nation’s largest collegiate clothing drive.

“We are very excited for our second year of the oneShirt Challenge and to help students and their communities become more aware of the benefits of textile recycling,” said Chris Yura, CEO and founder of SustainU. “It is important for future generations that we be creative in the use of all available resources. Many people don’t know that recycling and donating clothing can help support job training programs as well as divert billions of tons of waste from our landfills each year.”

Building on momentum from last year when nearly 100 schools participated, SustainU expects more than 200 schools in all 50 states to join the inter-school competition during Earth Week 2012. Campus groups will rally their campus and community to donate used clothing to benefit local charities and job training programs..

Schools will weigh donations and those with the most total and per student amounts will be declared The Big Shirts on Campus! Winning schools will receive 50 free 100% recycled, made in the USA SustainU shirts for their group or club. Additionally, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be awarding one Grand Prize of 24, four-day passes and premium camping to its 2012 event.

“Last year we saw schools collect over 16 tons of clothing from their communities,” said Tiffany Newcomb, SustainU’s Director of Corporate Responsibility. “They were very into beating other schools. It was cool to see universities and their communities working together and a healthy competition toward such a good cause. This year the competition is going to be even more intense, which is good for people and the environment.”

Individuals wanting to volunteer or donate clothing can find school contact info at sustainUclothing.com/oneShirt.

“SustainU is proud to partner with Reverb and the Campus Consciousness Tour,” states Chris Yura, founder and CEO of SustainU. “Reverb understands the environmental and social impact of clothing and how changing the way we think about our apparel can positively change peoples’ lives and the environment, both today and in the future. This tour is about helping people who love music understand how they can live more sustainably.”

Using pre-consumer cotton waste and recycled plastic bottles, SustainU cuts and assembles its apparel in the once vibrant textile regions of North Carolina and Tennessee. Working with partners like the Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, the company has not only saved thousands of tons of CO2 emissions, millions of gallons of water and tens of thousands of gallons of petroleum, but also brought back hundreds of jobs to the US.

“Reverb and The Campus Consciousness Tour are excited to be outfitting all of our volunteers in SustainU apparel,” said Adam Gardner, Reverb Director and Co-Founder. “It’s our hope that through our partnership, we can promote more sustainable products on college campus and encourage students to be more environmentally conscious.”

Half rock tour, half environmental campaign, the Campus Consciousness Tour aims to inspire and activate students in an electric atmosphere while leaving a positive impact on each community the tour visits. In addition to educating and mobilizing students, the tour includes many greening elements and is run to have a minimal environmental footprint.

###

About SustainU (SustainUclothing.com)
SustainU produces high quality apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA to provide extraordinary comfort and wear, while reducing environmental waste, carbon emissions and water use. Our mission is to change the way clothes are made to improve the environment, reinvigorate America’s manufacturing sector, and educate the world about how clothing can positively impact people’s lives.

About Reverb (Reverb.org)
Deeply rooted within the music and environmental communities, Reverb educates and engages musicians and their fans to take action toward a more sustainable future.

Based in Portland, Maine, Reverb is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was founded in 2004 by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Adam Gardner of Guster. Reverb provides comprehensive, custom greening programs for music tours while conducting grassroots outreach and education with fans around the globe.

In addition to greening work with bands and artists, Reverb also works to move forward the sustainable practices of music industry leaders, including venues, record labels, and radio stations.

Bel Air, Maryland (March 15, 2012) – The Council for Textile Recycling (CTR) and The Secondary
Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) today announces a new partnership with SustainU,
a Morgantown, W. Va.‐based company that makes high quality apparel in the U.S. using only fabrics
made from 100% recycled materials. CTR and SMART are proud to be an official sponsor for SustainU’s
oneShirt Challenge that promotes clothing recycling on college campuses during Earth Week, April 16 –
22, 2012.

The oneShirt Challenge is the nation’s largest collegiate clothing drive. Together, SMART and SustainU
encourage students on college and university campuses to participate in the oneShirt Challenge by
organizing a community clothing drive to benefit local charities and to raise awareness about the
benefits of textile recycling.

“This is a very exciting partnership for SMART,” says Association Executive Director, Jackie King. “Our
goal is to get people to think of clothing recycling as they already do paper, plastic, and aluminum
recycling. Taking our message to college campuses is a win‐win‐win for SMART, SustainU, and the
environment.”

At the end of the Challenge, each school will weigh the clothing it has collected and the school with the
highest total will be declared the “Big Shirt on Campus.” The students won’t just be competing to see
which campus collects the most clothing; they are also competing for tickets to the 2012 Bonnaroo
Music & Arts Festival. Bonnaroo has committed to providing the group from the winning campus with 24
4‐day passes to the 2012 Festival to be held in Manchester, TN June 7‐10. Bonnaroo is another sponsor
of the oneShirt Challenge along with MobileU, an Earth Day network initiative.

Students on college campuses in all 50 states are expected to participate in this year’s oneShirt
Challenge. Now in its second year, the oneShirt Challenge included students from nearly 100 schools in
2011. This year’s goal is to have more than 200 colleges and universities participating.

“Many people do not realize that donated textiles not only reduce the waste stream to our landfills, but
also support job training programs,” said Rich Goodstone, Bonnaroo Partner. “Because apparel is such
an integral and meaningful part of the festival experience, we want to do all we can to encourage
sustainable practices.”

Chris Yura, CEO and Founder of SustainU and organizer of the oneShirt Challenge says, “We are very
happy to partner with CTR and SMART, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival as well as MobilizeU and
Earth Day Network. Each of these organizations has demonstrated their commitment to make the world
a better place. With our new connection to MobilizeU, each of our participating schools can now
simultaneously be part of A Billion Acts of Green® during the week of Earth Day.”

According to CTR and SMART, more than 21 billion pounds of clothing and textiles that could be recycled
are put into the nation’s landfills and incinerators every year. “When clothing is recycled, more than 95%
of the materials can processed by our member companies,” says King. “As long as the clothing is clean
and dry, even if it is ripped or stained, it can be recycled.”

Campus groups, clubs or departments interested in joining the oneShirt can visit:
www.SustainUclothing.com/oneShirt or contact Tiffany Newcomb at 304‐413‐416. Registration ends on
Friday, March 23, 2012.

For more information on the CTR and SMART or to find clothing recyclers in your area, visit
www.WearDonateRecycle.org and  www.SMARTasn.org. To view informational videos about items that
can be recycled and how clothing is processed by some textile recyclers, visit the SMART video website
at: http://www.smartasn.org/about/videos.cfm.

About
The Council for Textile Recycling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax exempt organization incorporated in the
State of Maryland. The CTR is not involved in the collection of textile waste in any form and is entirely
devoted to creating more awareness about keeping post‐consumer textile waste out of our solid waste
stream. Our non‐profit headquarters are located at 2105 Laurel Bush Rd, Suite 200, Bel Air, MD 21015.
Phone: 443‐640‐1050.

Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles (SMART) is an international nonprofit trade association that
strengthens the economic opportunities of its diverse membership by promoting the interdependence
of our industry segments and providing a common forum for networking, education and trade. Since
1932, SMART has been at the forefront of recycling. SMART members use and convert recycled and
secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and non‐woven, off spec material, new
mill ends and paper from around the world. SMART member companies create thousands of jobs
worldwide. SMART members prove each day that you can make money by being socially responsible.
For additional information on SMART, visit the association’s website at www.SMARTasn.org.  The
following link will take you directly to informational videos on textile recycling
http://www.smartasn.org/about/videos.cfm.

SustainU produces high quality apparel using fabrics made from 100% recycled materials that are
manufactured in the USA to provide extraordinary comfort and wear, while reducing environmental
waste, carbon emissions and water use. Our mission is to change the way clothes are made to improve
the environment, reinvigorate America’s manufacturing sector, and educate the world about how
clothing can positively impact people’s lives. For more information about SustainU, visit their website at:
SustainUclothing.com

The oneShirt National Collegiate Clothing Challenge is a SustainU initiative aimed at raising awareness
about the social, environmental and economic benefits of textile recycling. Student groups from more
than 200 colleges and universities in all 50 states organize clothing drives to benefit local charities and
textile recycling programs. In 2011, more than 16 tons of clothing was collected and donated.
SustainU is a clothing company that produces high quality apparel using fabrics made in the USA from
100% recycled materials to provide extraordinary comfort and wear, while reducing environmental
waste, carbon emissions and water use. For more information about the oneShirt National Collegiate
Clothing Challenge visit: www.SustainUclothing.com/oneShirt.

MobilizeU is an international competition between colleges and universities that encourages students
to engage their campus communities in four weeks of environmental activism surrounding Earth Day
2012 (March 29 – April 29). Over the month‐long competition, students will mobilize their campuses to
generate as many “acts of green” as possible, through activities such as registering new voters,
collecting personal act‐of‐green pledges, leading community clean‐ups, and organizing major Earth Day
events, as well as amplifying environmental initiatives that their schools are already working on. For
more information visit the MobileU website at: www.EarthDay.org/MobilizeU.

Set on 700 acres in Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo is a four‐day festival that draws 80,000 fans every
summer. Featuring over 120 musical performances, along with comedy, cinema, sustainability
workshops and more, the grounds are converted into a virtual city of music and art. The legendary event
began in 2002 as a remarkable idea to serve a passionate fanbase, and ended up becoming the premier
multi‐day concert destination of the summer which dynamic and eclectic programming paved the way
for the age of the great American music festival. Bonnaroo has now evolved into becoming much more
than just a concert destination; it has become a cultural touchstone and, for two generations of music
fans, a rite of passage.

Bonnaroo has served as a launching pad for such popular artists as Kings of Leon,
The Black Keys, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, Robert Randolph, My Morning Jacket, Ray Lamontagne,
Matisyahu, and many others. A creative and cultural mega‐success, Bonnaroo has featured a
staggeringly diverse range of world‐class acts such as Bob Dylan, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen and the E
Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Radiohead, Jay‐Z, Phish, Eminem, Willie Nelson, The Police,
Pearl Jam, David Byrne, Tom Petty, The Black Keys, Tool, Wilco, The Dave Matthews Band, James Brown,
The White Stripes, Al Green, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails, The Dead, Mumford & Sons, Widespread
Panic, Death Cab For Cutie, Elvis Costello, Ornette Coleman, Amadou and Mariam, Beck, TV on the
Radio, Against Me!, Merle Haggard, Florence & The Machine, Phoenix, Alison Krauss, Robert Plant,
Bright Eyes, Bonnie Raitt, Lil’ Wayne, Steve Earle, Jurassic 5, Modest Mouse, The Mars Volta,
Deerhunter, Common, Burning Spear, the Flaming Lips, among many others. The website for Bonnaroo
is: www.Bonnaroo.com.

#####

A worldwide water crisis is a-comin’. Don’t believe me? Violence over water rights is already breaking out in regions of the world where water is scarce. Along with political tensions–and maybe wars–we’re going to see food production affected, and more people flat out hungry and thirsty. And it’s all because we’re simply using too much water. We use too much when we shower, when we do the dishes–but mostly, we use too much to produce all the stuff we buy. In fact, you’d be surprised how many gallons of water it takes to create the products that make our lives comfortable. Here’s a rundown of some of the most shocking . . .

How Many Gallons of Water is in a . . .

Car It takes an estimated 39,090 gallons of water to make a car. It’s unclear if that includes the more 2,000 gallons used to make its tires–each tire takes 518 gallons to make. [1]

Pair of Jeans It takes around 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to produce just one pair of regular ol’ blue jeans. [2]

Cotton T-Shirt Not as bad as jeans, it still takes a whopping 400 gallons of water to grow the cotton required for an ordinary cotton shirt.

Single Board of Lumber 5.4 gallons of water are used to grow enough wood for one lumber board. [3]

Barrel of Beer In order to process a single barrel of beer (32 gallons of booze), 1,500 gallons of water are sucked down. [3]

To-Go Latte It takes 53 gallons to make every latte, as I’ve noted before:

That sugar, doesn’t that have to be grown as cane first? Hm. And then there’s that plastic lid, which has to be created and distributed over hundreds of miles. And doesn’t plastic require a pretty vast amount of water and oil to produce? Come to think of it, there’s the sleeve and the cup itself too . . .

Gallon of Paint Takes 13 gallons of water to make.

Individual Bottled Water This irony shouldn’t be lost on anyone: it takes 1.85 gallons of water to manufacture the plastic for the bottle in the average commercial bottle of water.

One Ton of . . . Steel: 62,000 gallons of waterCement: 1,360 gallons

One Pound of . . . Wool: 101 gallons of waterCotton: 101 gallonsPlastic: 24 gallonsSynthetic Rubber: 55 gallons

And that’s just some of the stuff we make–check out how much water it takes to grow all of our food. We all need to make a conscious effort to watch what we buy for its water footprint. And it’s not just the US, though–many countries around the world have alarmingly high water footprints, too. So keep your eyes open when you’re shopping around–we’re wasting way too much water.

More on the Water CrisisFive Ingenious Ways Humans Move WaterTop 5 Ways Water Gets Polluted

Sources:[1] Water Resource of the United States (USGS) [2] Encyclopedia.com[3] Water Conservation Facts