Organic Clothing

Unfortunately, there is no organic clothing standard that will assure us of the organic credentials of the garments we buy. An easy assumption to make is that 'natural' products are necessarily better than synthetics. The reality is, surprisingly, quite the opposite when it comes to the material used for 1/2 of the worlds fabric requirements:

Cotton - is almost exclusively grown using the most intensive methods and accounts for a staggering one third of world pesticide use. More than this, chemicals have to be used to scour off the fibres waxy outer layer to allow dye retention, raw cotton is bleached white with chemicals like chlorine, and cotton crops can be genetically engineered to resist the bollworm pest. Conventionally produced it's a nasty product!

A very small proportion of the worlds cotton crop is 'organic', meaning free of chemicals and pesticides, or 'green' which generally means that no chemical finishes have been used. Unbleached cotton may have been grown with pesticides so this label means little else.

Alternatives

Hemp

A once vital crop that has fallen into disfavour, with the final nail in the coffin being driven in by the anti-drug lobby. Now making a comeback due to its remarkable nature, outgrowing weeds so no pesticides are needed, and being highly resistant to pests, its high yields make it the crop to watch in the future. Politicians should note that crops grown for fibre contain virtually none of the active substances that have made marijuana so popular.

Linen

Having been pushed into the background by synthetic fibres is now starting to reclaim a tradition going back to Roman times. The fibre flax plant grows more quickly than cotton and needs less chemical weed control. It produces a strong, dirt resistant fabric that is exceptionally cool in summer.

Silk

A wonderful fabric but as with other natural products it can be soaked with unpleasant chemicals during processing.

Eco-fleece

Take 25 plastic bottles (2 ltr) a cunning reclamation process and hey presto you get a rather natty fleece pullover. Not exactly organic but it sure beats stuffing more plastic into a landfill.

Web Links

Spirit Of Nature Ltd Burrhart House, Cradock Road, Luton, Beds. LU4 0JF Tel: 0870 725 9885 Fax: 0870 725 9886 Website: www.spiritofnature.co.uk Email: mail@spiritofnature.co.uk
Motherhemp Tilton Barns, Tilton Lane, Nr Firle Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6LL Tel: 01323 811909 Fax: 020 7691 7475 Website: www.motherhemp.com Email: info@motherhemp.com