Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:56

The market in eco-friendly and Fairtrade promotional clothing has become so inundated with new products that consumers are suffering from too much choice and misleading information, suggests B and B Leisurewear (BBL).According to the company's website, the words 'organic' and 'Fairtrade' are becoming mainstream but may be being misused by some among the sizeable influx of clothing manufacturers joining the rush.BBL has raised the idea that customers may be being lulled into buying clothes which carry label expressions such as 'fairly-traded' giving the impression that the item carries the legitimate certification of the Fairtrade Foundation.Writing on the BBL website, a spokesperson said: "This makes it quite difficult for customers to distinguish between all these different phrases and to understand the meanings behind them especially as one really needs to pay attention to slight differences in the words."For example fairly traded instead of Fairtrade is obviously just a nice euphemism."To avoid any ambiguity, BBL has marked its catalogue in sections which clearly identify the Soil Association certified organically produced merchandise and their traditionally made range.