Shopping with Sustainable, Ethical Brands Can Make a Difference

(StatePoint) When shopping for your family's clothing, your first considerations are likely factors such as price and size. But knowing more about how brands do business is important.

Consumers looking to make a positive impact should consider brands that are spearheading the effort to improve the lives of their workers and reduce their environmental impact.

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For example, Gildan, one of the top suppliers of quality branded basic family apparel, has evolved over the past 30 years from a small company in Canada with humble beginnings, into a global leader of the corporate social and environmental responsibility movement. Over half of the total energy Gildan consumed last year was powered by biomass, a renewable resource. Additionally, the brand goes to great lengths to preserve the natural resources it utilizes -- planting tens of thousands of trees and reducing waste sent to landfills by 21 percent since 2010.

Company benefits for the majority of Gildan’s permanent production employees include subsidized meals, subsidized transportation to and from work, education and professional development opportunities, and free access to fully equipped medical clinics that operate round-the-clock.

Before shopping, consider doing some research on favorite brands to see how they measure up when it comes to corporate responsibility.

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Shopping with Sustainable, Ethical Brands Can Make a Difference