The effects of organic verses conventional cotton
Posted: July 23, 2008 at 9:06 pm | Tags: Conventional, Cotton, Eco-friendly, Orangic Cotton T Shirts, Organic
Better for Our World Better for Our Health
(The effects of organic verses conventional cotton)
Only by living under a rock could a consumer not be exposed to all the organic, eco-friendly alternatives that are flooding the market. From food to household products, make-up to Hybrid cars, we all have been given the charge to snap our planet and health back into balance. The difficulty lies in disseminating the barrage of information to implement our own best satisfying strategy.
As a regular yoga practitioner, my initial interest began with a practical need for more comfortable, breathable yoga wear. Cotton had always been my fabric of choice since it provided the coolest and most maintenance free solution to sweltering Florida summers. Not until recently when I tried on a 100% organic cotton t-shirt was I dramatically aware of the difference. It seemed as if I had gone from wearing sackcloth to satin. It fit like a second skin and I was astonished it was even the same fiber I had become so accustomed to over the years. The explanation, the quality of clothing produced from organic cotton is substantially higher. Organic cotton plants provide longer-stable fibers which yield stronger yarn and more durable fabrics, which are softer, more breathable and more luxurious against the skin.
Moreover, further investigation reveals the environmental impact traditional cotton farming has on the environment and ultimately our health. Accounting for more than 25% of worldwide insecticide use and 10% of pesticides, in California alone, 5 of the top 9 pesticides are carcinogenic. While millions of children in the US receive up to 35% of their estimated lifetime dose of some pesticides by age 5 through food, contaminated drinking water, household use and pesticide drift. It takes 1 pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conventionally grow the three pounds of cotton needed to make a t-shirt and a pair of jeans as farm workers in the field here in the US and worldwide suffer from an untold number of ailments from neurological disorders to cell death. The scope of the problem becomes clear when realizing that 50% of cotton workers in Egypt suffer from pesticide poisoning, 91% of field workers in India display some chromosomal damage and a shocking 10,000 US cotton workers died last year from exposure to these chemicals.
As Consumers why would we want to cover ourselves in clothes doused with these chemicals? The rate of people experiencing health problems such as rashes, allergies respiratory problems and difficulty focusing mentally due to chemical sensitivities has been growing alarmingly and many diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities are finding organic clothing to essential in reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals. (Imagine what we can expect to absorb through our open pores in, say for instance, our yoga practice).
Organic garment manufactures are also supporting low impact dyes, which do not contain heavy metals or other toxic substances, nor are they petro-chemically based. In addition, new dying methods use less water, which is expelled to a treated wastewater discharge, and biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes finish the washing process.
To me the choice is clear. Organic cotton, better for our world better for our health.
