A Chemours chemical plant in West Virginia is polluting nearby waters with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals,” according to a new lawsuit brought by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition.
The complaint is the most recent in a fight that has been ongoing since 2001 over pollution from the Washington Works plant, reported The Guardian.
The PFAS-contaminated waste is polluting the Ohio River in the town of Parkersburg, home to approximately 50,000 Appalachian residents. The federal complaint claims that waste produced by the factory contains PFAS at levels much higher than allowed by a 2023 discharge permit.
West Virginia Rivers Coalition is seeking enforcement of the agreement from 2023, as well as $66,000 a day in civil penalties for each violation, plus court costs, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported.
The Chemours plant was the subject of the 2019 film Dark Waters, which told the story of illnesses suffered by Parkersburg residents due to the PFAS pollution, as well as the lawsuit brought against Chemours, formerly a subsidiary of DuPont, reported The Guardian.
A study that arose from the case exposed the health risks of forever chemicals and cost DuPont roughly $700 million.
Local advocates say the recent lawsuit is part of additional legal actions against the plant that have been brought to fill a void left by ineffective regulatory action.
“We have put up with this for 24 years, and [Chemours] is still polluting, they’re still putting this stuff in the water,” said Parkersburg resident Joe Kiger, one of the original plaintiffs, as The Guardian reported.
Among the contaminants listed in the lawsuit are PFAS, PFOA and GenX, all highly toxic chemical compounds that have been found to cause health problems.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered the chemical plant to take steps to correct its actions, but the lawsuit states that it has not. The complaint alleges residents are prevented from enjoying the river for recreation due to the ongoing pollution.
Chemours said in a statement that the “concerns are being addressed” and that it was working with regulators “to navigate both the consent order and the permit renewal process.”
Residents who spoke with The Guardian said most were not aware of continuing hazards from the PFAS pollution.
“They do what they can to make money,” said West Virginia attorney Harry Deitzler, who helped lead previous lawsuits. “The officers in the corporation sometimes don’t care about what’s right and wrong – they need to make money for shareholders and the lawsuits make everyone play by the same rules.”
A large local employer, Chemours invests heavily in charitable giving, and Kiger said many people support the company despite the pollution.
“That’s the kind of stuff you’re up against,” Kiger said. “It could be snowing out and Chemours would tell everyone it’s 80F [27C] and sunny, and everyone will grab their tan lotion.”
A class action lawsuit in 2004 resulted in approximately $70 million for local residents, but the suit failed to prove that PFAS pollution from DuPont was the cause of widespread health problems — including cancer, high cholesterol and kidney disease — in the region.
Rather than dividing the settlement among tens of thousands of the area’s residents, the money was put toward developing the epidemiological study to verify that the local health issues had been caused by pollution from the factory.
The study of roughly 70,000 people in 2012 showed PFOA was the likely cause of the health problems, and later studies demonstrated links between the chemical and other serious health issues affecting local residents.
In 2017 DuPont and Chemours settled roughly 3,500 injury lawsuits for $671 million, and have since paid for the installation of water filtration systems in the region. Chemours also settled an Ohio state suit in 2023 for $110 million over pollution produced primarily by the Washington Works plant.
Rob Bilott, original leader of the class-action suit, said that at times litigation has been the sole way to see meaningful change, since state regulatory agencies, including the EPA, have been periodically staffed with former managers of DuPont or industry allies.
“It’s infuriating,” Bilott said, as reported by The Guardian. “It took decades of making DuPont documents and internal data public, and getting the story out through movies, news articles, books and public engagement, and that’s what finally pushed the needle here. This is the impact of citizens forcing it through decades of litigation.”
The current complaint is a Clean Water Act citizen’s lawsuit, which gives people the power to request the enforcement of federal law in cases where a polluter is in violation and regulators fail to take action.
The EPA has acknowledged the violation by Chemours, but has “taken no further enforcement action regarding Chemours’s violations as of the date of this complaint,” the lawsuit said.
The post Chemours Chemical Plant Still Polluting West Virginia Water With Toxic PFAS After Almost 25 Years, Lawsuit Claims appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/chemours-pfas-pollution-west-virginia.html
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promise. The jewelry brand’s sleek, timeless pieces are thoughtfully made by seventh-generation craftspeople using 100% recycled gold and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds.
Aurate also has a curated collection of vintage fine jewelry from cocktail watches to signet rings up to 50% off.
10. SOKO
Best for: modern, minimalist artisan-made jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Above-Market Artisan Wages, Black-Owned
Price Range: $78 – $298
SOKO is an innovative Black-owned ethical jewelry brand using mobile tools to bridge the barriers for artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. In partnership with SOKO, independent artisans can operate a “virtual factory”, earning 5x more than an average artisan workshop in their local areas.
The jewelry is made with 24K gold or silver-plated brass — an affordable metal that also happens to consist of 90% recycled content on average. Other materials include reclaimed horn and bone, locally-sourced teak wood offcuts, and ceramic beads made by a fair trade women’s collective in Kenya.
10. Raven + Lily
Best for: affordable artisan jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Artisan-Made, Women-Led
Price Range: $40 – $240
Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and jewelry brand verified Fair Trade by the Fair Trade Federation. The women-led brand partners with artisan women around the world who use natural materials to craft both classic, elegant pieces and statement jewelry.
11. NAKIIT
Best for: one-of-a-kind, solo-handcrafted pieces
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Recycled Silver & Gold, Zero-Waste Scrap Recycling
Price Range: $21 – $485
As a small, slow-minded jewelry brand, NAKIIT’s founder + owner handcrafts each piece with intention. In fact, every piece of jewelry the brand sells is made by the founder herself!
Nearly all of NAKIIT’s ethically-made jewelry is either made-to-order or one-of-a-kind, ensuring a minimal ecological impact and the highest attention to quality.
As if we could love this brand even more, NAKIIT also sources recycled sterling silver and gold, plus recycles any remaining metal scraps or dust after production.
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Best Fair Trade Fashion Brands With Style and Heart
Affordable Ethical Fashion Brands
Consciously Curated Marketplaces for One-Stop Ethical Shopping
The post 11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine
It’s time to leave fast fashion in the dust — with one-of-a-kind designs, quality fabrics, and the assurance your dollars are supporting a more responsible fashion industry, these slow fashion brands are sure to win you over.
Before we go any further, though, I think we need to clarify what exactly slow fashion is…
What Do I Mean By “Slow Fashion?”
Slow fashion is about being more mindful and thoughtful about how clothing (and other fashion items) are being produced, how they’re being purchased, and how they’re being used/worn.
Instead of mass-producing trend-driven garments cheaply and quickly, slow fashion production is about creating a piece to last by using high-quality materials, transitional designs (i.e. they migth be contemporary but they’re not super “trendy”), and durable construction.
For individuals, slow fashion purchasing habits means buying less, but better. A slow fashion mindset is all about choosing well — it’s about picking well-made items that are built to last and also selecting pieces that fit your lifestyle and body well, to ensure they’ll not only be durable but will actually be useful for years to come.
Adopting slow fashion in your life, though, doesn’t necessarily have to mean spending money — this concept is also about slowing down to appreciate your clothes and closet. Slow fashion can mean wearing what you have as much as possible, mending and repairing worn clothing, or upcycling an even sewing your own clothes.
For more, read “What is Slow Fashion, Really?”
While slow fashion is a term that’s often used quite generally, it’s important to note that there are fast fashion brands that might have some organic or recycled clothing. Those did not make the list!
Slow fashion companies to me — and the criteria used to select brands for this guide — are brands that produce in smaller batches, make most of their pieces by hand, craft each piece with attention to detail and quality, and ideally, partner with skilled artisans, sewers, and craftspeople (who are of course fairly paid).
Now without further ado, here are our picks for…
My Top Picks for Slow Fashion Brands
To be clear: you do not need to purchase from slow fashion brands to participate in slow fashion. However, when the time comes that you want to add a new piece to your wardrobe, you probably want your dollars to go towards supporting responsible brands that are doing things better; that are producing with quality and intention.
You want to invest in pieces for the long-haul — and pieces that have a positive impact. And these slow fashion brands will help you do just that.
Note that this article features affiliate links which help us continue to run this independent site. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Feminine and vintage-inspired, Christy Dawn’s dresses are a romantic’s dream. As are their sweaters, jumpsuits, pants and every other garment they sell.
Each garment is ethically sewn in Los Angeles or India by makers earning living wages, and is made with regenerative cotton grown by their partners Oshadi Collective in India, organic cotton, or deadstock fabrics.
Conscious Qualities: Eco & Regenerative Fabrics, Ethical Production
Size Range: XS – 3XL + petite sizes
Price Range: $$$