The Hemp Trading Company

The Hemp Trading Company came runner up in the 2006 Observer Ethical Awards for ‘Best Fashion Product’, and was also shortlisted for ‘Environmental company of the year’ at the ‘Re:Fashion Awards

The Hemp Trading Company’s CEO Gavin Lawson was also listed in the ‘Future 100’ social entrepreneurs of 2008.

The Hemp Trading Company is a member of Ethical Junction http://www.ethical-junction.org

The Hemp Trading Company also use Bamboo:

Some of the THTC range is made from 70% bamboo, mixed with 30% organic cotton. The company we source our bamboo fibre from has Oeko Tex 100 certification, which is an internationally recognised standard in sustainability. Bamboo is one of the few plants that grows faster than hemp, and as it comes from an interconnected subterranean root system, the plant is not killed, just the shoots harvested. The supplier is internationally recognised for its sustainable processes regarding not only harvesting but also production of the organic bamboo. The fibre is a bamboo viscose (as is 99% of the bamboo fibre found in the textile industry) meaning that it is an extruded fibre made in the same way as other viscose fibres, so there is a chemical and energy footprint, however the raw material is bamboo cellulose which is very sustainable

The last range of men’s bamboo t-shirts have been sourced from Continental Clothing, a London-based supplier. Continental have full certifications of all their fabrics on their website, which can be found on their website:

(Plain bamboo garment also available from www.october.co.uk)

• All factories that THTC uses comply with ISO 9000 standards — (international organisation of standardisation) The hemp is trucked to the mill for de-gumming and processing into fibre. No caustic soda is used during this process, keeping it as environmentally sound as possible.
• The clothing is manufactured by people who receive full safety training, and belong to a labour union. The minimum age of employees is 19, the maximum age being 54. They work 8 hour shifts and have weekends off – (That’s more than us at THTC central!)
• All our Hemp is grown on small family farms in North Eastern China. It is and always has been grown organically.
• All our certified organic cotton is also grown in China. This is a fledgling industry that THTC supports and saves the energy and expense of shipping in from Europe or India.

• The Hemp Trading Company now uses water based inks (comply with GOTS) with a discharge screen printing process for almost all new designs.
• Eco Paper is used for poster printing, and will soon be used in all THTC flyers, swing tickets and catalogues.

Currently, THTC is working endlessly in order to join forces with the Fair Trade Foundation. Although already doing so, attaining the Fair Trade Mark will signify the THTC products as an independent guarantee that disadvantaged producers in the developing world are getting a better deal.

For a products from the The Hemp Trading Company to display the FAIRTRADE Mark it must meet international Fairtrade standards.

Launch of 22tenbamboo t-shirts for men

January 2008 sees the launch of the 22ten t-shirt brand and its on-line shop can be found on their website www.22-ten.co.uk. This company brings together a unique blend of fashion, design and sports backgrounds to create an exciting new collection of mens‚é„é´ t-shirts. Their initial collection is the one of the first fashion t-shirt ranges in the UK to printed on bamboo. Bamboo is a naturally sustainable fibre that has the additional benefit of being hypoallergenic, and because it is antibacterial, the fabric doesn’t hold sweat or smell. Bamboo reacts like silk t-shirt if you are cold it keeps you slightly warmer, or if in a hot climate, it keeps you around 2 degrees cooler. It feels softer to touch than cotton, and is machine washable. 22ten commissioned a collection of prints designed by the Californian artist Erik Alwill. Erik based his drawings on his personal interpretation of the four philosophical statements: Free will defence; Would immortality be tedious? Am I dreaming? Casual realism. A more definitive explanation of each phrase can be found on their website. 22ten is supporting and encouraging health by keeping £1 aside from each t-shirt sold through their website to start a fund to sponsor a British athlete for the 2012 Olympics. Nearer the Olympics, clients of 22ten will be asked to vote for the recipients of this financial reward.

More details can be found on their website. For further information, visuals or samples, please contact:

Deborah Shaw at 07944-992291 or Deborah@22-ten.co.uk

Useful links: Bamboo Tshirts, Tshirt printing,
t shirt printing, screen printing, embroidery