knowing that natural doesn’t necessarily mean green
Nov
24
Just because the two most popular natural fibres come from plants (cotton) and animals (wool) doesn’t mean they’re green. Like food, it’s best if natural fibres come from an organic farming process, whether it’s from a cotton field or from a sheep’s back.
Cotton is one of the most natural fibres on earth but it is also one of the crops that uses most pesticide. Traditionally grown cotton uses about a quarter of all the pesticides used in the world. Chemicals are used because cotton plants can be easily affected by insects and fungus.
Pesticides can create health problems for those who work on cotton farms. The World Health Organisation estimates that 3 million people are poisoned by pesticides each year and of those around 20,000 die. Pesticides also contaminate ground and surface water. They’re not good for the long-term health of the soil either. The Pesticide Action Network of North America suggests that pesticide residue stays in the cotton fabric after is has been manufactured and may pose a health risk for cotton workers too.
It takes about 20,000 litres of water to make a cotton T-shirt and if you add in the dyes used and the amount of energy to process the raw cotton into fabric it doesn’t add up to a very ‘green‘ fabric. The manufacture of most clothing materials involves the use of huge quantities of water and that can lead to problems for human populations in dry regions where water is in short supply. It’s very difficult to know how much water each individual item of clothing might have absorbed but research into the country where it’s made gives you information on the abundance and quality of the water supply.
Wool obviously comes from sheep and you don’t usually associate pesticides with animals, but they’re used to maintain the quality of wool. Sheep dip, the chemical concoction sheep are dipped into to kill parasites, contains organophosphates, which scientists now know are a major cause of excessive tiredness, headaches, poor concentration, and mood changes in humans exposed to it, not to mention the effect on the sheep that are dipped into it.
The animal welfare charity People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is also concerned about sheep being mistreated, because animals can be herded together in a factory farm type situation, to produce as much wool in the shortest time possible.
Synthetic and chemical products are sometimes added to cotton and wool clothing products, including colour dyes and bleach. There is also an increasing number of poly-cotton products on the market, also referred to as permanent press, no wrinkle, no ironing needed, and crease-resistant products — all using chemicals.
Buy clothes made from organic cotton and wool. The materials are grown and processed without the use of toxic chemicals.
Debating leather Versus non-leather
Some people refuse to eat food produced from animals and some of those also refuse to wear clothes made from animal products such as leather, fur, reptile skins, and even wool. The main reasons are that they feel that:
Animal-based products involve the premature death or injury of an animal, so are therefore inherently cruel.
The global demand for some animal-based products is greater than supply so the animals themselves are in danger of disappearing.
Modern methods of manufacturing leather goods in factories use similar high levels of energy that other mass-produced products use, whereas the true green way to make leather is using natural dyes and drying skins in the sun.
It’s quite hard to find green alternatives to leather and fur. The increasing number of cruelty-free and vegetarian clothing stores that sell alternative products are made of vinyl, PVC, and other chemically produced materials that have major impacts on the environment — use big quantities of oil, water, and energy, and produce high emissions of greenhouse gases.
Making a decision about what to buy is about weighing up the pros and cons and deciding what’s most important to you. The best way to be green is to buy less!
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
knowing that natural doesn’t necessarily mean green
- Dressing Greener
- Wearing green materials
- Natural Office and Green Printing
- Green Meat Shopping
- Planning a Green Holiday
- Green Shopping, Eating Vegetables
- Shopping for Green Clothing, Yearning for Vintage Clothes
- Initiating Green Projects continue...
- Choosing Bio Fuel and bio Diesel
- Organic Foods for your fridge and freezer
November 26th, 2008 at 3:18 am
Our relentless pursuit of excellence has led us to create the first certified organic greens blend, a genuine breakthrough in the nutrition industry, which is certified organic by both the USDA and QAI. … Certified Organic Triple Greens
November 26th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Blood Orange Body Scrub Delicious, juicy concoction of organic Blood Oranges, aging antioxidants and vet… … Body Oils
November 26th, 2008 at 7:18 am
France (’ ) uses the world s finest certified organic ingredients, void of harsh chemicals and fillers. … Organic Sugar Scrub
July 20th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
I want to use only organic means of control in my gardens so sometimes my battles can become difficult. … Organic Fertilizer
September 16th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Find infant blankets, organic baby blankets, infant wraps and a wide variety of other maternity and baby products in the BabyCenter Store. … Organic Baby Product
October 7th, 2009 at 2:04 am
We started producing the product line in early 1996 and tested the products on people all around Telluride where the conditions are harsh. … Care Products