Join us for a deep dive into practical sustainability solutions for the apparel industry in this enlightening episode featuring Cassie Green from the Apparelist and special guest Gary Jones, VP of Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs at Printing United Alliance. Cassie shares invaluable insights and research-backed strategies for reducing environmental impact in apparel decoration businesses. From small yet impactful changes to comprehensive approaches, Cassie and Gary provide actionable steps to help decorators navigate the path to sustainability with confidence. Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover valuable resources and take your business towards a greener future. Our regular listeners know this, but 2 Regular Guys are all about garment decorating, a bit of fun, and no rants, lectures, or selling. 2 Regular Guys was not created for our employers but rather for our industry. Since February 2013, The 2 Regular Guys have been the first and the most listened-to garment decorating industry podcast on this planet! We are humbled by all of you tuning in each week. We work hard to bring you information that will improve your business and our industry. Take a look at our incredible weekly guest list, and you’ll understand where this industry goes for news, interviews, and the heartbeat of garment decorating. Thanks for listening! 🏆🤑 Ready to have clarity and confidence in your business? 🥇🎯 Attend FUNdamentals Live News If you have anything newsworthy you would like us to share, please email details to info@2regularguys.com. Use the subject line “Weekly News.” https://youtu.be/F4YLij45dkk Dad Joke Aaron: I can cut a piece of wood in half just by looking at it. You might not believe me, but I saw it with my own eyes. Sustainable Solutions Aaron: Welcome in. As you might know, we gave up reading bios a while ago because we would rather learn about you from you. Can you both briefly share a little about yourselves and how you came to the industry? Terry: For Cassie: Can you provide an overview of the current state of sustainability in the apparel industry? o   According to the EPA, the main source of textiles in municipal solid waste (MSW) is discarded clothing, although other smaller sources include furniture, carpets, tires, footwear, and other nondurable goods such as sheets and towels. o   92 million tons of textiles waste is produced every year. Earth.org shares that in America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste – equivalent to 85% of all textiles – end up in landfills on a yearly basis. O The good: We’re starting to see so many companies make progress: Marine Layer, Everywhere Apparel, Living Ink (making ink out of algae), Allmade, S&S’s Giveback Box program, etc. Aaron: For Gary: From your perspective, what are some common environmental challenges faced by apparel decorators? There are three areas of concern for decorators: The manufacturing process and this includes requirements such as air permits, wastewater discharges, hazardous waste management and OSHA compliance.  The input materials being used and this includes ensuring that customer guidelines are being met with respect to the ingredients. The recent bans and proposed bans on certain chemicals are having a greater influence on the choice of materials.  The finished product and this includes the substrate and the ultimate fate of the finished product.  Terry: For Both: What are some practical steps that apparel decorators can take to reduce their environmental impact without major overhauls? O There are the typical things like replacing all your lightbulbs, recycling and/or reusing boxes and packaging materials, implementing low-flow toilets and sinks, etc. I’ve seen other shops reuse and repurpose their old screens. But shops should also be aware of what products they’re buying and selling to their customers (are they recycled cotton/poly); also notify customers...