Anvil Knitwear, a sponsor of Earth Day New York, announced that the company is launching an organics education program.
“While many understand the importance of, say, eating organic foods, they don't always see why their apparel choices are just as important. We consider it both a challenge and an opportunity, and to a certain extent our mission, to teach everyone we can about the importance of sustainability and organic farming in the apparel industry,” said Anthony Corsano, CEO of Anvil Knitwear, Inc.
As part of the organics education program, Anvil has developed new TrackMyT lesson plans available on anvilcsr.com. TrackMyT.com, which Anvil developed in 2009, is an interactive website that chronicles the environmental impact of a shirt from seed to store. These new lesson plans create a fun learning experience that emphasizes the importance of choosing organic. Updated lesson plans cover everything from how cotton is grown on farms, to what role insects play in agricultural processes.
Anvil's use of digital media appeals to kids and adults alike and aligns with Anvil's commitment to being an environmentally and socially responsible company. To tell Earth Day's story, Anvil created Shirt Scan, a Smartphone app that delivers multimedia content, such as photos and videos, through a quick response (QR) code. Anvil-produced Earth Day New York hats, bags and t-shirts contain a special QR Code, which, when scanned with Shirt Scan, unlocks exclusive Earth Day content to be updated throughout the day with Anvil and EDNY multimedia content, as well as content featuring attendees of EDNY festivities.
Anvil said it's the the largest buyer of U.S.-grown organic cotton and transitional cotton. In addition, Anvil recently launched the “Double It!” campaign, an initiative to double the domestic acreage of organic cotton by providing a financial incentive to traditional cotton farmers, so that they are able to realize the environmental benefits of organic cotton farming.
