Global Conference for Social Change Recognizes Anvil Knitwear as a Top Leader in Sustainability

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 18 in New York, The Foundation for Social Change and United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) will recognize Anvil Knitwear as a Top Leader of Change in the sustainability category at the Global Conference for Social Change: Turning Social Responsibility Into Social Action.

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The award recognizes Anvil, a leading manufacturer of sustainable apparel, as a visionary and inspirational leader who, through its actions, exemplifies how creativity and innovation can combine to solve social problems.

"Anvil Knitwear is honored to be recognized as a Leader of Change amongst such an inspirational group of organizations, said Anthony Corsano, CEO of Anvil Knitwear. "We are continually seeking new ways, whether through our eco-products or initiatives like Track My T, to create a culture where social and environmental action are top of mind for our employees, customers and consumers. We look forward to moving the needle further in the months and years to come and working together with The Foundation for Social Change and other organizations on this important mission."

Anvil's commitment to sustainability is comprised of three pillars: environmental, social and product.  In recent years, the company has rolled out 17 industry-leading, affordable eco styles, made from a variety of fibers including certified organic cotton, transitional cotton, recycled cotton and recycled PET bottles in addition to its more than 100 traditional styles that are all manufactured using responsible practices. Anvil's organic products are part of its larger commitment to growing the acreage of U.S. organic cotton; the company is currently the largest buyer of U.S. — grown organic cotton according to Organic Exchange.

The company has also been instrumental in educating consumers on how to reduce their individual environmental footprint through smarter purchasing decisions.

During the conference, Anvil will screen a provocative digital short, released in earlier this month, titled Message from Earth: Organic Matters, which highlights the environmental benefits of organic cotton and encourages consumers – and farmers – to support organic farming.  Additionally, Anvil's TrackMyT is an interactive website that chronicles and brings to life the complete journey and environmental impact of a t-shirt, from cotton-seed to consumer, allows users to interact with the farmers behind Anvil's products.

"Corporate engagement is essential to the international community's efforts to alleviate poverty, ensure clean water, and help underserved populations realize healthy living," said Amir Dossal, Executive Director of UNOP. "We want to recognize the creativity, technology and resources that Anvil and the other honorees bring to our collective efforts in solving social problems."

At the conference, Corsano will discuss the company's commitment to growing the organic cotton industry, moderating a panel comprised of representatives from Disney and the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative.

Anvil and other honorees, which include Coca-Cola, Nike, Calvert Investments, Groupo Santander Bank Brazil, Ceres, Interface, Dow Chemical, Groupe Danone, Stonyfield Farm and Reebok, have all agreed to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015. A committee consisting of representatives from United Nations, World Economic Forum, Grameen Creative Lab, NYU Stern School of Business, and the Foundation for Social Change chose the Leaders of Change awardees.

About Anvil Knitwear

Anvil Knitwear, Inc., a socially and environmentally responsible manufacturer of sportswear and accessories, is a leader in the sustainable apparel industry with its AnvilOrganic®, AnvilRecycled™ and AnvilSustainable™ brands. Anvil was recently ranked the world's sixth-largest organic program and the largest domestic purchaser of U.S.-grown certified organic cotton. Anvil offers 17 affordable eco styles made from a variety of fibers such as certified organic cotton, transitional cotton, recycled cotton, and recycled PET bottles and blends in addition to its over 100 traditional styles.  

For more information, please visit www.anvilknitwear.com and www.anvilcsr.com.

About the Foundation for Social Change

The Foundation for Social Change mission is to educate executives and business leaders that social innovation – social action – can benefit both their bottom line and address critical social issues. Our educational programs and collaborative platforms demonstrate how social action outperforms traditional corporate responsibility to deliver triple bottom line returns: Social. Environmental. Financial. FSC does this through "Leadership for Social Change" executive education courses at major universities throughout the world, including NYU, Oxford, and many others. In addition, it convenes the leaders from the business sector, non-profit and government to exchange ideas, share best practices and showcase successful social action programs, and events such as the Global Conference for Social Change showcase examples of good work.

SOURCE Anvil Knitwear, Inc.