A selection of ethical and sustainable reading:
Reading
Articles
Behind a $13 shirt, a $6-an-hour worker
by Natalie Kitroeff & Victoria Kim, for the Los Angeles Times
31 Aug. 2017
“How Forever 21 and other retailers avoid liability for factories that underpay workers to sew their clothes.”
Eco-Fashion 101: Glossary of Common Terms
“Eco-fashion looks at ways to mitigate the ills of the fashion industry. Also called ethical fashion, sustainable fashion and ecofashion, it is new method of business that takes into consideration the triple bottom line; the idea that a sustainable business considers the needs of all stakeholders (including other species) instead of solely maximizing profit for shareholders.”
H&M’s new brand, Arket, names the factory that made its clothes. But the name isn’t enough
30 Aug. 2017
“What is a shopper supposed to do with that information? And how useful is all this transparency, really?”
In Search of Sustainable Style
April/May 2017
“Socially responsible clothing has become the height of fashion. Luke Leitch tries it on for size”
Making Jeans is Bad for the Planet. This Factory could Change That.
16 Jan. 2019
“Sanjeev Bahl makes clothing, and money, without poisoning the environment. He wants the rest of the global garment industry to follow his lead."
Money Talk
02 Jan. 2017
“About pricing, consumption, our business, what it means to be a consumer and a producer of things, and lots of stuff in between.”
Now We Know! Fashion is the 5th Most Polluting Industry, Equal to Livestock
09 May 2017
What’s the Difference Between Green, Sustainable, Eco-Friendly, Ethical, Fair Trade, Clean, Organic, Non-Toxic, and Conscious?
08 May 2018
“Sustainable, Green, Eco-Friendly, and Ethical: The careless practice of using these terms lightly and synonymously, especially by marketers, has created a bit of confusion.”
Books
The B Corp Handbook: How to Use Business as a Force for Good
"Join a Growing Movement: Learn how you can join a global movement to redefine success in business, led by well-known icons like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry's, disruptive upstarts like Warby Parker and Etsy."
Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs
"Muhammad Yunus, the practical visionary who pioneered microcredit and, with his Grameen Bank, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has developed a new dimension for capitalism which he calls "social business." The social business model has been adopted by corporations, entrepreneurs, and social activists across the globe. Its goal is to create self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth as they produce goods and services to fulfill human needs."
ECOrenaissance
“Featuring roundtable discussions with inspiring eco-entrepreneurs, green fashion designers, organic food purveyors, and innovative leaders of the green movement, ECOrenaissance offers groundbreaking resources for transforming your life.”
Good Money: Become an Ethical Entrepreneur
"A practical guide to launching and growing your own successful ethical business. Businesses focused almost entirely on improving the world we live in, rather than on financial gain, can help to achieve meaningful change and generate above-average profits."
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
"Expert Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method™, with its category-by-category system, leads to lasting results."
The Little Book of Going Green
“The Little Book of Going Green aims to shed light on the ways humans are harming the environment, from pollution and deforestation to industrial production and farming methods. Filled with facts theories and tips on how we can do our bit for the planet, this is your one-stop guide to making every aspect of your life earth-friendly.”
Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics
“Slow Fashion offers ethical consumers, creatives and entrepreneurs alike a glimpse into the innovative world of the eco-concept store movement, sustainable fashion design and a business that puts people, livelihoods and environmental sustainability central to everything it does.”
Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered
“Small is Beautiful is Oxford-trained economist E.F. Schumacher's classic call for the end of excessive consumption... [and] presents eminently logical arguments for building our economies around the needs of communities, not corporations.”
Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up
"A companion to Marie Kondo’s best-selling "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up," this book offers an illustrated guide to her acclaimed KonMari Method™, with clear folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks – plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets."
This is a Good Guide
“This is a good guide for a sustainable lifestyle. It's as simple as that. Would you like to live a bit more consciously, but don't know how? And rather not put much time, money or effort into it? Then this is the book for you.”
Tools for Grassroots Activitsts
Published by Patagonia
“A resource for any organization hoping to hone core skills like campaign and communication strategy, grassroots organizing, and lobbying as well as working with business, fundraising in uncertain times and using new technologies.”
WARDROBE CRISIS: How we went from Sunday Best to Fast Fashion
Published in 2016 by Nero
“In Wardrobe Crisis, fashion journalist Clare Press explores the history and ethics behind what we wear. Putting her insider status to good use, Press examines the entire fashion ecosystem, from sweatshops to haute couture, unearthing the roots of today’s buy-and-discard culture… Wardrobe Crisis is a witty and persuasive argument for a fashion revolution that will empower you to feel good about your wardrobe again.”
A Zero Waste Life in Thirty Days
by Anita Vandyke
“A Zero Waste Life is the ultimate guide to radically reducing your waste, without losing your lifestyle. Over thirty days you will learn how to make sustainable, ethical choices when it comes to shopping, eating, travel, beauty and so much more. Small changes can make a big difference, and by following these easy, creative steps we can all do more to save our world. ”
– Book Depository
Magazines
Conscious Magazine
Eluxe Magazine
The Green Hub Magazine
An Australian digital magazine all about sustainable and green living.