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What are organic and sustainable textiles?
Organic and eco textiles cover a wide range of natural and recycled fibers. Certified Organic textiles are grown in controlled settings with no pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers and are certified by an international governing body such as Control Union, IMO (Institute for Marketecology) or One-Cert. The term “eco textiles” refers to a select group of textiles that have a reduced carbon, energy and pollution impact when compared to the standard methods used to produce textiles and manufacture clothing. Generally, sustainable textiles are produced from crops that do not require pesticides or chemicals to be grown, use less water and energy to be produced and processed and create less waste during production, processing and at the end of their useful lives (known collectively as their “environmental footprint”). Sustainable textiles can also refer to man made fabrics produced from renewable sources such as bamboo or wood.
There are a variety of organic and eco certifications in the market place which can add to consumer confusion. Many of these so called certifications are simply attempts by corporations to label their textiles in such a way that allows them to take advantage of the organic movement. Many of these certifications are not legitimate, lead to consumer skepticism and have resulted in the term “green washing”.
At Fashion and Earth, we take our organic and eco textile certifications very seriously. Currently, we only accept organic textiles that have been certified by GOTS (the Global Organic Textiles Standard) which is considered the most comprehensive and credible certification in the world. We only accept eco textiles that have been produced from Oeko-Tex 100 certified fibers which is considered to be the most credible eco textile standard in the world.
Please review our Environmental Policy for further details.
Why should I buy organic clothing as opposed to conventional clothing?
Conventional or non-organic cotton and polyester make up approximately 80% of all fiber production globally. This production is about equal between cotton and polyester (Acordis in Sheffer, 2005). First, let’s talk about conventional cotton.
Cotton requires lots of water. For example, approximately 10,000 – 17,000 L of water is required to produce 1 Kg of cotton lint. This heavy water requirement has led to water shortages in many areas of the world with the Aral Sea area being a notable example.
Over 73% of cotton fields world wide are irrigated (Kooistra and Termorshuizen, 2006). Improper irrigation techniques such as flood - furrow are leading to salinisation issues for the land. In fact, an estimated 100 million hectares (8% of world total arable land) has been abandoned by farmers due to over-exploitation with the main cause being salinisation. Cotton is considered to be the main crop involved in this arable land loss.
Conventional cotton consumes 11% of the world's pesticides and 24% of the world’s insecticides, despite the fact that cotton only uses 2.4% of total arable land. Additionally pesticide and insecticide use is difficult to control due to its broad / blanket application. Approximately 13% of farmers employ aerial spraying while hand spraying accounts for 52% of farms and the remaining 35% is by tractor spraying (Kooistra and Termorshuizen, 2006).
Because land application of pesticides and insecticides is difficult to control serious collateral damage to the surrounding environment is common. For example, pesticides end up in aquatic organisms (Kumar et al., 2003; Muschal & Warne, 2003; Erdogrul et al., 2005) and have been shown to bioaccumulate (Zhang et al., 2005) in birds (Eason et al., 2002). Pesticides applied in cotton production have also been documented as adversely affecting river ecosystems in Australia, leading to lower quantities and lessened diversity of water organisms (Hose et al., 2003). In 1995, pesticide-contaminated runoff from cotton fields in Alabama killed 240,000 fish (Lotus, 2004). It is estimated that pesticides unintentionally kill 67 million birds each year (Lotus, 2004).
Pesticides are highly persistent and as such, will stay around in ground water for a long time. This can lead to pesticides entering our drinking water and slowly poisoning ourselves and our children. For example, Tariq (2003) reported pesticide contamination of groundwater due to cotton cultivation in Pakistan and India (Shukla et al. 2005). CSE (2003) reported pesticides in the main brands of cola and packaged drinking water in India. Pesticide contamination isn’t just a third world problem. In an ongoing study being conducted on Prince Edward Island, Canada, 110 domestic wells have been monitored since 2004 for pesticides. Pesticides were detected in 7.5% of domestic wells in 2004 and has steadily increased to over 15% in 2007 (Government of PEI, 2008).
These types of low level exposures to pesticides in drinking water won’t likely have immediate effects on our health but in the long term, a variety of health effects are possible. In one study, all research conducted since 1992 on the potential impact of pesticides on human health was reviewed and summarized (Sanborn et al, 2004). From this review a variety of convincing connections between pesticides and human health were identified. For example, the review demonstrated an increased risk of developing a variety of solid tumors such as brain cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers such as non-Hodgkins lymphoma, leukemia as well as reproductive effects including: birth defects, fecundability, fetal death, and intrauterine growth retardation.
Unfortunately, children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of pesticides. Children eat and drink more per kilogram of body weight than adults. Their skin is more permeable and their livers do not excrete as efficiently as an adults. Their hand-to-mouth behaviour increases the chance of ingestion and their dermal contact is increased because of a proportionally larger skin surface, and because they play on the ground outdoors and on the floor indoors. Parents track pesticides indoors on their shoes, inadvertently exposing their children (Sanborn et al, 2004).
And these are just the long term effects of chronic exposure to pesticides. In many third world countries, application of pesticides by hand spraying is common and this type of close contact with highly concentrated pesticides can have far more dramatic consequences. It has been estimated that at the global level annually 40,000 lives are lost annually due to pesticide application (WHO, 2002), representing 10% of all casualties in the agricultural sector (ILO, 1997).
Now let’s discuss polyester. For starters, the main raw material used to produce polyester is oil. Oil is a non-renewable resource so obviously, polyester production is not sustainable. Polyester is also not biodegradable and as such, any polyester textiles that end up in the land-fill will remain there for a very long time.
Close to 12 billion pounds of post consumer textile waste ends up in our land-fills every single year (EPA, 2008). With approximately half of this textile waste being non-biodegradable polyester the implications are obvious.
Polyester production is an energy hog. Approximately 80 GJ of energy is required to produce one mt of polyester. This amounts to green house gas (GHG) emissions of approximately 5.5 mt CO2 per mt polyester (Robert J Smith, Lenzing Fibers).
There may also be health implications associated with wearing polyester. Polyester develops a significant electrostatic charge while it is worn (due to the friction of the fabric across the skin). This electrostatic charge has been associated with reduced sperm count in men who wear polyester underwear (Shafik et al, 1992; Shafik, 1994 and Shafik, 1992).
In terms of its economic impact clothing is a high value sector, globally worth over $1 trillion and ranked the second biggest global economic activity for intensity of trade7. It contributes to 7% of world exports and employs approximately 26 million people, supporting a significant number of economies and individual incomes around the world. The textile industry is especially important to developing countires. For example, in Pakistan, cotton accounts for 60% of total export value.
In other words, the textile industry is here to stay and it is very important, especially to developing economies. However, in its current state it is simply unsustainable. Conventional cotton is polluting our eco-systems, destroying our bio-diversity and poisoning our populations. Polyester is a big contributor to GHG emissions and chocking our land-fills.
As our populations continue to grow and as developing countries enter the middle class, demand for textiles will continue to grow. To meet this demand without sacrificing our health and the health of our planet, we simply must find sustainable textile solutions. Those sustainable solutions are there in the form of organic cotton, organic wool, hemp, Tencel, silk, bamboo, etc. It is just up to us to make the conscious choice to change our purchasing decisions.
How often are your suppliers audited to ensure they remain in compliance?
At the beginning of each calendar year we re-evaluate all of our suppliers to ensure their organic certificates are up to date. We also evaluate their manufacturing chain to ensure they are remaining in compliance with fair trade labour guidelines as set out in our environmental policy.
Is the bamboo used in your clothing harvested in a panda safe manner?
There are over 1,200 species of bamboo in existence globally, most of which are found in China. We make sure that all of our products are manufactured from Moso bamboo, (Phyllostachys pubescens) which is not the bamboo species eaten by Pandas and which does not grow in their habitat.
Is it true that bamboo clothing is anti-microbial?
Bamboo rayon has many genuine qualities. Due to its fiber structure it has a natural ability to breathe providing greater thermal stability over cotton or polyester. In other words, the textile keeps you cooler in summer and warmer in winter then another fiber of equivalent weight. It has the ability to absorb water 3-4 times faster versus cotton giving bamboo fiber the ability to wick moisture away from the body. Bamboo textiles are naturally wrinkle resistant and require less laundering care versus cotton or hemp.
If you search the internet, you will find numerous references to the anti-microbial capability of bamboo rayon. It is a proven fact that the bamboo plant has a natural resistance to pest and fungal infestation due to an ant-microbial agent known as bamboo “kun”. There are two articles that you will find regularly referenced, specifically:
“The Japan Textile Inspection Association has tested our bamboo fabric for antimicrobial activity and it was found to cause 70% death rate of bacteria.”
“China Industrial Testing Center (CTITC) - One hundred percent Bamboo Fabric was tested over a 24-hour incubation period with bacterial strain type Staphylococcus aureous. After the 24-hour period the numbers of live bacteria were counted in each sample. The results showed that 100% bamboo fabric exhibits 99.8% antibacterial kill rate.”
Both of these articles were from the web site of China Bambro Textile Inc. I am not sure if this site is the originator of these articles but you can certainly find these two articles referenced by many other sites.
As a scientist myself, I was always suspicious that the bamboo “kun” could possibly survive the heat and chemical treatment process to which the raw fiber is exposed during the manufacturing process. When I asked China Bambro Textile for copies of these articles they were never provided. I then asked a contact at the Canadian Embassy in Japan to search for the first article. The article could not be found nor could he even find any Association by the name Japan Textile Inspection Association..
I have since been in contact with a research group at the Colorado State University that has trying to determine if untreated bamboo fabric does or does not have anti-microbial capability. Although the work is still on-going with a final report expected in February of 2009, the preliminary results suggest that there is no significant anti-microbial activity (Ajoy Sarkar, personal communication).
Personally, I do not see this as a big deal nor should you. The real benefit of wearing bamboo, organic cotton or any other sustainable clothing is the reduced impact to the environment. Any of the added benefits are just gravy.
What are you doing to minimize your environmental impact?
We take our responsibility as stewards of the environment very seriously. To that end, we have a very detailed environmental and social policy that you can view here. We truly believe that for any company to be sustainable it must do all it can internally to reduce its waste production, energy consumption and environmental footprint. Although I appreciate the efforts of big corporations to become “greener” they will never become close to sustainable until they evaluate their products. How can any big corporation that churns out tons of goods made from materials such as polyester, PVC and, conventional cotton ever assume to be environmental just because they have recycle their garbage internally?
In order to be sustainable any corporation must do all they can to reduce their environmental footprint and that includes the products they sell.
As you know, we sell only sustainably produced clothing and clothing accessories so I think we have that base quite well covered. However, internally we are also doing all that we can. We recycle our garbage, minimize paper use, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, purchase only fair trade coffee for the office, etc. Recently, we traded in our older company car for one of the most fuel efficient sub-compact cars currently available, a Toyota Yaris. And we are currently considering the conversion of our oil based heating system into a geothermal system.
We have also committed to putting our “money where our mouth is” by paying a third party to audit our business for its environmental impact. Since we are a new business, established in 2007, we intend to use this first report card as a baseline for us to follow. Each year, we will strive to improve on the prior year with our eventual intent to have a neutral carbon footprint.
For further details on what we are doing in this area, take a look at our environmental and social policy.
If soy clothing is made from soybeans aren’t you contributing to world hunger by reducing the amount of soybeans available for human consumption?
All of our soy products are produced only from the raw material that is discarded during the harvesting process (stalks, leaves, etc). As such, we are not removing a source of protein from the food chain.
Are your dyes good for the environment?
All of our products are colored using low impact dyes.
Where is your bamboo grown?
Our bamboo is grown in China in the County of Shuangjiang under the management of Hebei Jigao Chemical Fiber Company Ltd. All of our bamboo is grown and certified organic following the National Organic Standard.
I have heard that the process used to manufacture bamboo is harmful to people and the environment – is this true?
Yes, it’s true that the production of bamboo viscose involves the use of chemicals that if left unmanaged can do harm to humans and the environment. But before we write off bamboo as a sustainable textile option, let's consider some facts:
- Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth with an average growth rate of 12 - 19 inches per day (Jinhe Fu, 2000). Bamboo is tremendously hardy and pest resistant. No fertilizers, pesticides or irrigation is required. Neither is replanting required. The shoots are simply cut to their base and the bamboo regrows from new shoots. As such, bamboo offers a tremendous source of sustainable cellulose for textile production.
- Let's compare this with conventional cotton. Cotton is very sensitive to pest infestation and drought. Every one Kg of cotton lint production requires 10,000 - 17,000 liters of water. Cotton production accounts for 2.4% of total arable land yet accounts for 11% of global pesticide use and 25% of global insecticide use (Kooistra & Termorshaizen, 2006). Approximately 40,000 lives are lost each year due to pesticide / insecticide application (WHO, 2002). Approximately 100 million hectares of land (8% of global arable land) has been lost due to over-exploitation with the main cause being salinisation caused by improper irrigation practices employed in cotton production. And then there is the environmental impact. Each year, it is estimated that approximately 67 million birds are killed by pesticides (Lotus, 2004). And then there is the impact on our river, lake systems and ground water
I can go on and on but I think we can all agree that conventional cotton production exacts a terrible toll on human and environmental health. Organic cotton is definitely a huge improvement as it removes synthetic pesticides, insecticides and synthetic fertilizers from the equation. However, water use is not considered in organic cotton certification so in a sense organic cotton production is not even truly sustainable as it stands right now. Is it better then conventional cotton production? Yes.....way better.
And the same goes for bamboo. Unlike organic cotton which does employ organic pesticides, organic fertilizers and irrigation, bamboo culture uses nothing. As such, the environmental impact at the harvest level should be much less even then organic cotton.
For bamboo, the issue seems to be the chemical use at the production level. I would agree the chemicals used in the process are not good, however, I would argue that it is a lot better and safer then losing 40,000 people per year through pesticide use. Additionally, because this chemical use occurs within central locations (ie. manufacturing plants) this offers much better potential to treat the water prior to leaving the plant and entering the environment. This type of treatment and control is simply not possible with the land application of fertilizers and pesticides on cotton farms.
In our case, we try very hard to ensure that our bamboo products are sourced from facilities that employ effective waste water treatment so the chemicals used in the process do not end up in the environment. Currently, all of our bamboo staple fiber is sourced from Jigao Chemical Fiber Co. which employs a closed loop process in its manufacture facility.
What are your employment ethics?
During our screening of potential suppliers, it must be confirmed that they abide by the International Labour Organization or, Social Accountability International standards. If the products are produced in North America or Europe then I am confident that labour standards are being met since the legal standards in these areas meet or exceed the international standards. If the garments are produced outside of these areas, we request proof of a third party audit that certifies that the facility meets the labour standards.
