Impact
Celebrate Earth Day
From backyards to our amazing national parks, the outdoors is one of our greatest gifts. April 22nd is Earth Day. It celebrates the beginning of the environmental movement. The first Earth Day was held in 1970 and since then it has grown to include over 1 billion people and 193 countries. Earth Day focuses on areas such as climate action, science and education, conservation and restoration, activism, plastics and pollution, and bringing communities together. Fair Trade Federation members seek to meet their own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. This requires active consideration of the environmental impact of every decision the company makes and creative adaptations in business practices that advocate responsible stewardship of resources. Simply put, members reduce, reuse, reclaim, and recycle materials wherever possible. Caring for people means caring for their physical space too. There are three key ways GOEX implements healthy environmental practices. 1) Responsible Sourcing: We incorporate sustainably grown materials into our products by sourcing our fabrics from Carolina Cotton Works in South Carolina — they offer a variety of recycled materials. We use Repreve, a recycled polyester yarn and then spin our tri-blend shirts from US-grown cotton, recycled polyester, and rayon. Every tri-blend shirt contains the equivalent of approximately 6 plastic water bottles. 2) Responsible Use: A large part of environmental stewardship is the day-to-day operational practices we have established. Our screen printing facility in Kansas City operates from an environmental and sustainable neutral position. We work with local authorities and agencies to ensure that the disposal of all waste/excess is in accordance with our positive environmental policy. We have an electric car charging station at our office and print shop to encourage electric cars. We recently moved into a new industrial building with large windows and low dividing walls to capitalize on the natural light, thus conserving electricity. The main challenge we face is screenprinting effluence. We are currently evaluating a system to capture all of our effluence from printing in tanks and to recirculate them and dispose of them. Attention is given to our suppliers to ensure the types of chemicals included in their products are friendly to the environment. 3) Responsible Waste: When we can, we take extreme care to avoid waste in the first place, but it’s near impossible to be a Zero Waste print shop. Instead, we focus our attention on how we want to responsibly handle the waste we can’t avoid. We go back to the elementary school basics: reduce, reuse, recycle. In 2020, we introduced buttons, labels, drawcords, twill tape and packaging made from recycled plastic. We also introduced a line of garments created from remnant fabric diverting waste from landfills – our ladies rib tee, rib tank and rib cardigan are all created from scrap fabric! In 2021, we added zippers to the assortment of components using recycled plastics. When it makes sense, we gift extra materials from the production facility in Haiti to the community. For other materials, like plastic, paint, cardboard, etc., we diligently recycle. We also reuse screens, boxes and ink containers in an effort to reduce our overall consumption. We will also continue to expand our assortment of garments made of eco-triblend fabric diverting more plastic from landfills. And we are reusing boxes that originate in Haiti! Be sure to look for a sticker indicating your box is on its second journey. Celebrate the day. Earth Day commemorates how far we have come. Take the day to smell the air and know that you, as an ethical consumer, have done good. By celebrating and reflecting every single win we can continue to work for progress and for a better world. Feel good. Do good. Shop tees made with you in mind. We’d love to get you started with a better basic tee today! Choose from our many styles, colors, and fits to make the perfect garment for your next group event — something you can feel proud to wear. Browse our Digital Catalog today!
Learn more
Fundraise Like A Champion
Raising money for your cause can be overwhelming. There are so many options out there from candy and cookies to raffles and carwashes. GOEX can help! We’ve made fundraising and awareness easy with our custom fair trade tees. We are ready to help your cause succeed. HOW TO FUNDRAISE WITH GOEX: WHY FUNDRAISE WITH GOEX? GOEX is nonprofit. After costs to sustainably produce premium eco-friendly apparel and provide living wage jobs, all GOEX profit — every bit of it — goes to fund projects set in motion by The Global Orphan Project. GOEX is committed to sustainability. Each garment is sustainably made of USA fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail. In 2020, we introduced buttons, labels, drawcords, twill tape and packaging made from recycled plastic. We also introduced a line of garments created from remnant fabric diverting waste from landfills – our ladies rib tee, rib tank and rib cardigan are all created from scrap fabric! In 2021, we added zippers to the assortment of components using recycled plastics. We will also continue to expand our assortment of garments made of eco-triblend fabric diverting more plastic from landfills. And we are reusing boxes that originate in Haiti! Be sure to look for a sticker indicating your box is on its second journey! GOEX is a member of the Fair Trade Federation GOEX exists to improve the lives of the workers and communities we touch. We are proud to say GOEX is one of the elite few who have passed the Fair Trade Federation’s (FTF) rigorous screening! We are dedicated to following the nine FTF principles established to maintain integrity. You can read more about the Fair Trade Federations nine principles here. GOEX is transparent. We use a simple tee to connect the customer and the worker. Your GOEX purchase employs skilled apparel makers who cut and sew premium fabric at a manufacturing facility in Haiti. You support employees at our screen printing and distribution center in the heart of Kansas City. These jobs enable employees to care for their own families through dignified work and we have an open door policy. When you visit either facility, you’re encouraged to talk with employees and get a better understanding of how we support the people who make your clothes. Transparency is only one of the ways we seek to do better in everything we do. READY TO START FUNDRAISING? Email us at cs@goex.org. Follow the story. We strive to be bold with our words and represent the ideals we believe. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Learn more
A Beautiful Day For A Neighbor
March 20th is Fred Rogers’ birthday. Fred McFeely Rogers was an author, minister, producer, and host of one of the most proud yet simple American television shows, Mister Rogers. Mister Rogers, the man, changed not only American television but the way we approach children and learning. An advocate for humanity and kindness, he revolutionized how we process information and adhere to emotional needs. His influence impacts us daily. When you hear the iconic diddle of the bells you can’t help but sing, “..please won’t you be my neighbor.” Photo by Fotos International/Courtesy of Getty Images One way Mister Rogers has influenced GOEX is in the way he celebrates the integrity and dignity of all professions, from factory workers to astronauts, and his neighbors were effortlessly diverse. No check boxes to tick off, no quota to fill, only unchallenged goodness. To honor Fred Rogers and his incredible legacy, we celebrate Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day not just today but every day. We believe Commerce and Kindness can coexist. At GOEX we don’t aspire to be the best or preferred t-shirt company of the world. Our purpose is compassion – to be neighborly to everyone who touches a garment. How You Can Celebrate Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day: Wear your favorite sweater or cardigan Speak softly to a neighbor Listen to a friend Practice patience even though it ‘s hard Sing Watch an episode of Mister Rogers or Daniel Tiger Be mindful and appreciate everything Talk to your family about managing emotions, prejudice, and acceptance Remember kindness. Share your care. Feel good. Do good. Won’t you be our neighbor? Follow the story. We strive to be bold with our words and represent the ideals we believe. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Learn more
2021 Fair Trade Federation Virtual Conference and Expo
GOEX Apparel is proud to announce that we will be presenting at the 2021 Fair Trade Federation Virtual Conference and Expo! We are immensely proud to be members of the Fair Trade Federation. With fewer than 200 members worldwide, the Fair Trade Federation’s (FTF) acceptance of GOEX reflects our deep commitment to the highest standards of fair trade and the pursuit of a more just and sustainable world. Behind every product you purchase from any business, there are faces, names, and futures. For GOEX and other Fair Trade Federation members, the heart of our business, our primary goal, is to improve the lives and communities of the people who create our products. The Fair Trade Federation Conference and Expo provides a unique platform to highlight the work of FTF members, verified fair trade enterprises. It is also an important opportunity to come together as a community, share joys and challenges, to be inspired, and to learn. The expo is attended by buyers, employees, owners, and advocates from ethical, conventional, and fair trade wholesalers, retailers, and organizations from the US, Canada, Europe, and more. April 26th-27th GOEX Apparel will be virtually telling our story and sharing our commitment to ethical, sustainable business. During the GOEX session, we will present a showcase to give attendees a sample of our best, newest, and most interesting products and stories. We will cover our impact here in the states as well as in Haiti featuring interviews moderated by our Executive Director, Jessica Ray. Follow the story. We strive to be bold with our words and represent the ideals we believe. If you like what we stand for, we want to share more! Stay in the loop by signing up to receive our newsletters and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Learn more