How to Green Up Promotional T-Shirt Buying with Life Cycle Assessment

Men's Organic Tee from PromoWithPurposeShop.com

Think a T-shirt is just a T-shirt? Boy, do you need to read this eye-opening book, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade, by Pietra Rivoli. You’d be surprised at how much of the economy, both here and abroad, is affected by this ubiquitous and lowly apparel staple. Every step in the production process reveals a new, complicated market structure. And the political battles? Let’s just say that some presidents may be in office thanks to T-shirt related interests.

For example, did you realize that the largest supply of cotton for T-shirts is actually grown here in the States (mainly Texas)? Yet, a huge percentage of T-shirt manufacturing is done in Asia. Seems a little counterintuitive and counterproductive, right? But the economic scenario says otherwise. And before you naturally start thinking “sweatshops” and “child labor,” you need to read this book for an in-depth look at the situation. I appreciated the academically researched assessment of the overseas labor and economic landscape.

What you’ll also come to understand are the harsh realities of organic cotton. You will never again wonder why organic is much more expensive than standard cotton. And you’ll appreciate how difficult this transition to environmentally friendly organics really is.

Ever wonder where your 5K Fun Run T-shirt ended up after you pitched it into the Salvation Army bin? One of the most unsettling, but also encouraging, segments of the book was the thorough discussion of the “mitumba” markets in Africa for used clothing. Another hugely complex market structure! Shipping containers, such as the kind that you see on freight trains and on ocean shipping docks, arrive full of American castoffs. Through legit, and in some cases not so legit, distribution, the castoffs make their way to the bazaar-like mitumba markets where the best ones, usually generically decorated (those with non-threatening images and no text) or not imprinted, are sold. Those that don’t make the cut can sell for as little at two for a penny when all is said and done. That being said, the mitumba markets do provide a second life for used clothing, thereby delaying a trip to the landfill.

Another avenue, even before the mitumba market circuit, for that 5K T-shirt is in the used textile recycling business. Here, charities sell tons of castoffs to professional pickers who assess its post-5K life. Is it undecorated and/or can it be cut apart for rags for industry? Should it be shredded for fiber use? Or is it good enough to sell as used clothing (which might make its way to the mitumba markets)? This actually is a very competitive market. Should demand for recycled fiber shirts continue to increase, this could become an even hotter and more competitive marketplace. As well, in challenging economic times, used clothing stores like Savers, could be another avenue. To me, this is all good news.

Knowing the life cycle (and afterlife) of that promotional T-shirt project you’re planning is key to making a greener purchase. Specifically, you need to assess:

Potential Lifetime – How long, in terms of months or years, would you expect recipients to wear it? Will they wear it at the event and send it directly to the Salvation Army bin? Some of this can be determined by the quality of the shirt you choose. Higher quality or very comfortable ones, regardless of imprint, can become favorites. I’ve received some at athletic events that I immediately sent to the donation pile. The fabrics were cheap, itchy, wrinkly, had an imprint that used so much ink I thought I was wearing a plastic bag, or, in the case of a “tech” fabric, so hot I sweat in them instantly. Goodbye! Also, to help extend the shirt’s life post-donation, opt for limiting imprint areas to expand the useful fabric area. Imprinted areas are often unusable except for scrap fiber.
Your Recipients – Are your recipients T-shirt wearers? I’ve done a lot of running events and I’ve observed that a lot of the runners are very unlikely to wear the event shirt at the race. Very competitive runners or athletes do NOT typically wear them on race day. They wear their training gear or, what I call, “good luck wear.” They may wear the event shirt after the event, but typically not for training. Really the only ones they want are those for high profile competitive running events such as marathons. It becomes a badge of honor they’ll be proud to display! But for fun runs and community type events, maybe not so much (a box of free Clif bars might be more appreciated). By contrast, at a fun run/walk, you may have a lot of families where a wearable freebie might help stretch the clothing budget for kids. Plus, kids might want to show off that they were cool enough to participate. So, yes, they want them.
Collectible Potential – How much do you think you could get on eBay for a vintage Rolling Stones concert T-shirt? Probably a good buck! Is the promotional shirt you’re buying going to promote a once-in-a-lifetime experience? Does it commemorate an up-and-coming artist that could make it valuable in the future? This may be difficult to assess. Generally, though, the higher profile the event, performer, or place visited, the more collectible market value the shirt may have down the road.
Extended Promotional Value – Shirts which promote a continuing effort, such as awareness campaigns, may have an extended life after an initial event. In this case you would be well advised to select a wear-worthy choice that is comfortable and better quality to foster continued post-event wear.
Supply Chain – Sometimes this is tricky. Most promotional online vendors rarely, if ever, identify the country of origin for T-shirts. It can vary widely from product to product. As well, in the case of overseas production, source country could change rapidly should the manufacturer move operations to circumvent quota issues (another segment of the Travels book you would not believe). If fair trade issues are a concern, stick with USA-made T-shirts (yep, I got ‘em in the USAandUnionMadePromoShop.com collection). Should you be more concerned about a greener fabric content–for example, you don’t want cotton made with pesticides or herbicides–then stick with organics (yep, got those, too, at PromoWithPurposeShop.com). To be labeled organic, it must pass certification testing.