Greenfibres

Slow cleansing

2009-09-25T12:24:00.016Z

Over the last few years I have developed a new pet hate: facial cleansing wipes. Not only are they wasteful and generally laden with chemicals in order not to 'go off' and keep moist forever, they are also the most utilitarian, sober and unsensuous way of cleansing your face. The fast food of skin care! The latest generation even promises to cleanse, tone and moisturise all in one simple wipe. So in under 60 seconds we can all 'take off the day' from our faces. Not only do I not believe that this kind of skin care has any benefits - how could it, there is no 'care' in it! I just as much lament the fact that it takes out the joy and, if you like, the ritual of looking after your skin, the taking off the day and preparing for the night.
I am not advocating spending 3 hours every night and using hundreds of products to wash your face. But I am advocating finding a routine that you enjoy practising and that benefits your skin. It can be quite simple. I take less than 10 minutes to prepare my skin for night time: I use organic sweet almond oil on moistened cotton wool pads to take off any traces of make-up. I further cleanse and massage my face with a rich organic facial cleanser balm which I remove with tissues. Finally I soak an organic muslin face cloth in warm to hot water (maybe with a bit of lavender oil), put it on my face to open the pores and gently apply some ghassoul wash-clay (which I prepare in a little dish with water and organic sweet almond oil every few days). I take off the ghassoul with the organic muslin cloth, dry my face and spray some rose water on my skin. After a few minutes I decide whether my skin needs extra oils or creams. Often it doesn't.
So, more than 60 seconds but still a very appropriate transition time from day to night. My 'end of the day ritual' and a cultural act as much as one of simply cleansing. My skin would certainly miss it, but I would miss it even more.

(Granted, facial wipes might come in handy on those camping trips ... but then don't get me started on camping!)

Gabriela Lana

Organic mattresses - the natural nest for sound sleep

2009-08-26T11:24:00.003Z

Greenfibres makes organic and natural mattresses by hand to the highest specifications. We use only top quality natural and organic materials. These materials are very breathable and are excellent at balancing moisture and temperature levels. As the average person loses about a third of a litre of moisture during sleep, the 'micro-climate' in your bed is of crucial importance: if you get too hot and sweaty you'll cool down and ... wake up! Combine one of our natural mattresses with an organic Greenfibres duvet and pillow and get the full benefits of sleeping in a pure, natural nest.
We don't treat our mattresses with any chemicals so you don't have to worry about those nasty substances outgassing. Also, our mattresses are free from metal - not a spring in sight - so they do not interfere with or heighten natural magnetic or electro-magnetic fields. These fields may impact on the quality of your sleep and possibly even your health. Some people are very sensitive to this so we simply decided to leave the metal out completely.
Because we make the mattresses to order we can accommodate different size requirements (antique beds, DIY beds,etc). We pass at heart-shaped mattresses but as long as it's rectangular, we can make it. Just give us a call and we'll discuss what is possible and will also take you through all the different materials on offer.

BIGGEST SALE EVER!

2009-01-14T12:48:00.002Z

Greenfibres is having a huge clearout sale to make way for new season stock, with big reductions on lots of stuff.

Take a look here.

Organic Textiles Directory and glossary

2008-12-09T17:08:00.000Z

I have been busy creating a worldwide organic textiles directory with a textiles glossary attached.

This was mainly an exercise in improving my php skills, which are pretty basic. Still, I have managed to hack someone else's code into a usable - and hopefully useful - site.

Let me know how you think it could be improved.

Greenfibres customer feedback

2008-11-05T13:09:00.002Z

It's always good to get positive feedback from Greenfibres customers, particularly when it compares us favourably with our commpetition:

"As an existing customer I am impressed with your reliability and fairness in your dealings with me. FYI: The same cannot be said of my experiences of other natural companies with whom we no longer trade - between my daughter and myself we have been sadly disappointed in at least 5 orders (phone an 0870 number if there is a problem with the order..... and it costs a fortune, invoiced the full price for a 1/2 price sale, sent one half of a set of pyjamas because the other half wasn't available etc etc) . It all makes us wonder if they treat customers so badly, how do they treat suppliers? Keep up the good work, regards, (name supplied)"

We know we are not perfect, but we do try.

If there is something we can do to improve your experience of shopping with us, do let us know.

Meanwhile, we have some nice organic thermal underwear to keep you warm this winter!

How Green is Your Wedding?

2007-03-14T11:04:00.000Z

With the average wedding costing (believe it or not) nearly £20,000 and often incorporating a honeymoon in a far-flung resort, getting married can have a serious impact on the planet as well as the purse.

Here are some suggestions for lessening the environmental impact of your happy day - and probably saving quite a bit of money into the bargain:

Printing and stationery - find a printer who can offer a range of invitations and other wedding stationery printed on recycled paper or card.

Jewellery and precious metals are significant polluters due to energy-consuming mining and manufacturing processes. You could consider antique or recycled jewellery.

Those limos are real gas-guzzlers - consider a horse-drawn carriage: much more classy! And any waste products are bio-degradable...

Honeymoons can be taken in this country, too.

Organic wedding gifts can be sourced from ethical companies: Greenfibres offer a free wedding list service

Wedding dresses and suits can often be found in charity shops, or can be made from organic or re-cycled material.

Food and drink can be local and organic - and good!

Confetti - how about rice, wheat or birdseed?

Use your imagination - there are many ways you can make your wedding a little greener. Here are some more Green Wedding Tips from Friends of the Earth.

Underwear Exposed at Eco Conference

2007-01-22T16:26:00.000Z

A range of underwear - the first in the UK to be given the stamp of organic approval – will be given a public airing for the first time on Thursday January 25 at the reception for the 2007 Soil Association Conference in Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Other Greenfibres products recently certified as organic by the Soil Association include a range of cotton towels and a selection of socks.

While most people have some idea of the reasons why organic food might be better for us and the environment, the idea of buying organic clothes is not one that may occur to many of us.

The mainstream textiles industry is a major source of pollution, using about one quarter of the pesticides applied to crops worldwide. Over 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw fibres into clothes, towels, bedding and other household goods. Some of these (such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates and organochlorines) have been associated with cancer, birth defects, and hormonal disruption. Reproductive effects have also been noted, including male fish developing female characteristics.

Farmers working on organic farms are exposed to fewer chemicals. Each year, an estimated 60 million pounds of organophosphate pesticides are applied to U.S. agricultural crops and an additional 17 million pounds are used per year for non-agricultural uses, such as in household pest control products and lawn and garden sprays.

Organic textiles are derived from crops grown without chemicals, using eco-friendly methods. No toxic chemicals are used in their manufacture and surface dressings are either absent or eco-friendly.

All Greenfibres Organic products are certified by one of the major European agencies, which include Bioland (Germany), Demeter (Germany) and SKAL (Netherlands), and only recently has it become possible for the Soil Association to certify organic textiles in the UK.

What's The Truth About Organic Cotton?

2007-01-10T10:22:00.000Z

(This post comprises a question from a student, following a conference at Leeds University, with a reply by William Lana of Greenfibres, who spoke at the conference.)

Dear William Lana,

My name is L*** C*** and I am a third year student at Leeds university studying textiles for fashion. I am writing my dissertation on organic cotton and whether it can replace traditional cotton. I went to the conference in Leeds on Sustainable textiles and I was interested in what you said about organic cotton. I was wondering if you would be able to answer a few questions for my research? I have asked exactly the same questions to Dr Richard Blackburn and I wanted to compare your responses.

1. At the conference Dr Richard Blackburn, from Leeds University had different information to you, stating that organic cotton could not replace traditional cotton, what are your views on this?

2. Why do you think you had different information, and how do you know which is reliable?

3. Where do you get your figures from?

4. Phil Patterson from marks and Spencer spoke about organic production during the French revolution, why do you think we failed to continue producing cotton in this way?

5. What future do you see in organic cotton?

I would be very greatful for any help, thank you for your time.

L C

Hi L***,

Thanks for your email.

I do not have much time at the moment, but you are very welcome to visit our business and spend as long as you would like looking through 60 or 70 documents I have accumulated on organic vs. conventional cotton over the
past 10 years and deciding what is relevant to put into your dissertation... but I'll give you some quick thought shere...

When considering whether organic cotton can replace conventional cotton we need to know whom you are answering the question for? A western consumer? An Uzbek school girl forced to work on conventional cotton fields during harvest time every year? A Chinese cotton farmer exposed to appalling conditions of poverty and helplessness? Who wants to know? So - as I'm sure you will - make sure you identify what you mean by: can organic cotton replace traditional cotton.

It sounds like you want to look at the very specific question of: if I take the same cotton seed in the same conditions and the same farmer grows it in the same year, will I have more lint There are a number of issues (as well
as yield) that we need to think about...

What are the economic implications of conventional cotton -

for the farmer: price of seed, chemical fertiliser, direct health effects of farm workers, soil erosion, etc.?
for the surrounding community: pesticide laden water tables, existing systems to get cotton to market which are full of extortion and corruption?
the health of the community?
For the wider community who must deal with the outputs of the conventional cotton industry?

Likewise, what are the economics of organic cotton -

What can a field produce on its edges where the two types of cotton are grown (or what is the total economic and social revenue from that field for the farmer and for the earth?) because a lot of subsistence farming in developing countries happens at the edges.
What are we trying to achieve by asking that question? And can we answer it properly at this stage? Will the answer help to design a new eco textile industry? If we come to the conclusion that under certain conditions organic cotton will not produce the same yield, might it still be better to accept that reduction in yield in favour of the benefits?

1. At the conference Dr Richard Blackburn, from Leeds University had different information to you, stating that organic cotton could not replace traditional cotton, what are your views on this?

It was the first eco textile conference held in the UK. I think we got drawn into a simplistic answer, where there is none. I think Dr. Blackburn and I have more similar positions that that exchange could allude to. There
is a lot of early data out there, much of which has not been reviewed carefully. We're at the beginning stages of the emerging eco textile industry. In the coming years I'm sure clearer information will become available.

2. Why do you think you had different information, and how do you know which is reliable?

There are not many questions that have one answer... especially not ones that are new, and where there is little funding to research them. Why are there different figures around? Well there are always 2 sides to a coin.
You have to do the research for yourself and decide what you believe. How do you know anything is reliable? I like to know who a piece of research is by, why they are asking that question, if they have anything personally to
gain from the research, who is funding the work, where is it published, those kinds of question help to decide what I consider reliable. But at the end of the day you have to decide.

3.Where do you get your figures from?

Unfortunately I do not have all of the source material for my position properly documented. I appreciate this does not sound very academically rigorous but it is a product of trying to keep a green company a float as well as support a growing organic textile industry. As I said earlier you are welcome to come down to our offices and look through the material I have here.

Some of my information comes from the Pesticides Action Network

There have been studies done to investigate the economic viability of organic cotton farming and its impact on farmers, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the WWF Switzerland mandated the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) conducted a detailed study of the Maikaal bioRe project in central India over a period of 2 years, and collected and compared agronomic data on 60 organic and conventional farms.

They found the organic producers benefited from:

40% lower costs for inputs
13-20% lower variable production costs
a far lower need to take up loans
total labour inputs that were not significantly higher and
4-6% higher average cotton yields

(this was recorded in a number of places but where I first found it was in the story: "Economic viability of organic cotton" The Hindu (newspaper), 28 September 2006)

But in 1993 the US based INTERNATIONAL COTTON ADVISORY COMMITTEE produced a paper called: Suitable Varieties for Organic Cotton Production Paper Presented at the International Conference on Organic Cotton in Cairo, Egypt, September 23-25, 1993.

Part of their conclusions were -

Presently grown commercial varieties of cotton have been developed to give optimum yield under high doses of fertilizers and stringent plant protection measures.
New varieties need to be developed for organic cotton production. The breeding objectives would be better tolerance to insect pests and diseases and maintaining a high yield level without any synthetic fertilizers.

So is it fair to take varieties of cotton selected to give optimum yields under conventional farming methods and say that organic cotton doesn't work when these varieties don't perform?

It is certainly difficult to make generalisations about cotton yields since the findings are dependent on so many variables. In some circumstances, with certain environmental conditions, different types of cotton grow better, over a measured period of t ime. This isn't to say we can't make statements about cotton growing or about economic outcomes of growing cotton, but the usefulness of such statements has to be put into a context and the importance of that context shouldn't be understated.

Then there is the whole question of GM cotton, which I appreciate you, are not looking at but which must be considered properly by any Eco Textile Network Organisation...

4. Phil Patterson from Marks & Spencer spoke about organic production during the French revolution, why do you think we failed to continue producing cotton in this way?

I would direct you to the 2 volume work: "The Cambridge History of Western Textiles" ed. David Jenkins ... is massive and quite boring, but very informative. There are too many reasons why we failed to continue farming
organically in the past 70 years ... certainly the short term increase in yield of crops generally achieved by using intensive chemical farming models was one reason, but there were many others.

5. What future do you see in organic cotton?

When you start looking seriously at the benefits of organic cotton (as I'm sure you will) and compare it to some information about conventional cotton, then I think the data proves a moral imperative to switch all conventional
production to organic. Here is one paragraph I found about women's empowerment through organic cotton:

"Cotton production in West Africa is often regarded as a men's affair. However, women are very much involved in the time-consuming operations of weeding and harvesting - on family fields. Women do not often have their own
cotton fields because they have little access to inputs for cotton production. The cotton inputs are distributed through village producer organisations. Women in Benin are hardly represented in the boards of these
producers' organisations, and they may not even be entitled to become a member - for socio-cultural reasons.
Organic cotton production is very interesting to women, because they can now use inputs which are locally available (organic manure, botanical insecticides) at little or no cost. They can thus grow the cash crop cotton
without being dependent on the male-dominated village producer organisations. Also, pregnant and nursing women are able to produce cotton organically without having to fear for the health hazards, to themselves and
to their child, of the use of synthetic pesticides."

(quoted from http://www.biocoton.com )

The WWF has also shown that organic cotton leads to greater water retention in the soil. This means that - when grown organically - a thirsty cotton crop isn't quite as thirsty.

What future in organic cotton... well let's look a small part of one processing stage of conventional cotton... harvesting. I could write about the horrific conditions under which the conventional cotton industry operates in the Central Asian Republics, especially Uzbekistan, and especially at harvest time, but if you want to find out more about this please see the cotton section on the Environmental Justice Foundation site .

In a Western country like the USA, cotton harvesting uses a variety of harvest-aids such as spraying cotton fields with chemicals like thidiazuron to defoliate cotton plants by removing mature and juvenile leaves to facilitate machine harvesting, and suppress growth of new plant leaves. Also used are desiccants containing pyraflufen ethyl, carfentrazon, dimethipin, paraquat, and glyphosate to kill and dry leaves remaining on the cotton plants and weeds after chemical defoliation, and chemicals containing the active ingredient ethephon to accelerate the opening of the cotton bolls.

Going back to the positive, there are also many stories about increased opportunities for primary and secondary education in communities where organic cotton has replaced conventional cotton; there are also stories of
seed exchange programmes have sprung up and farmers training schools being established. Wherever you look organic cotton farmers report a general increase in the quality of life and well-being of their family and their
communities. (A good place to look at would be what has been happening with the SEKEN project in Egypt for the last 25 years.)

We should also remember you are asking me for input on the question whether organic cotton can replace conventional cotton, but I am primarily concerned with why organic cotton should (in my view must) replace conventional cotton if we are going to dig ourselves out of this current ecological disaster we are in. I don't know how familiar you are with the observation of 'peak oil', but all of that synthetic fertiliser used on cotton is going to increase dramatically in price over the next 30 years. 84-million pounds of pesticides and 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizer were applied to 14.4-million acres of conventionally grown cotton in the United States alone
in 2000... as oil increases in price there will be less and less conventional cotton grown in the world.

For me the question isn't can it replace conventional cotton, it is will we as a society wake up in time to save the future for our children? Organic cotton is only one tiny part of the solution, but if there is no future for
organic cotton, there is no future for humanity.

Hope that helps, you should also try to have a look at: The international market for organic cotton and eco-textiles
A report for PAN UK's Pesticides Poverty and Livelihoods project (Peter Ton, Organic Cotton Consultant - August 2002)

Organic Cotton: From Field to Final to Final Product (Edited by Dorothy
Myers and Sue Stolton, 1999) a few of the opening paragraphs are quoted
below.

National Sustainable Agriculture Service

"Throughout the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, cotton is a major cash crop, and cotton production and processing is an important source of income at household level for many millions of small farmers - as well as
being a source of foreign exchange at national level. In many countries therefore, strenuous efforts have been made to increase production, mainly by increasing yields through the intensive use of chemical inputs, irrigation and the use of higher-yielding varieties.

Improvements in cotton fibre output have generally been regarded as beneficial by those involved, including the farmers, but they have also involved costs, both environmental and social, which have not been reflected
in cotton pricing and which have seriously affected people's livelihoods, health and environment. Indeed, despite its 'natural' image, cotton production has become increasingly associated with severe negative environmental impacts which include reduced soil fertility, salinization, a loss of biodiversity, water pollution, adverse changes in water balance, and pesticide-related problems including resistance. Social costs include, for example, severe health problems related to the heavy use of acutely toxic pesticides especially in countries where regulatory systems are weak or unenforceable and safe use almost impossible. Even economically, farmers are not necessarily better off due to high production costs, and in some situations they are unable to select alternative crops or production
systems.

Environmental and health costs also arise at other stages in the cotton chain. Cotton processing is a very resource-consuming, polluting and unhealthy industry. Large amounts of water, energy and chemicals are used at
the different processing stages. Inputs required for processing usually find their way into the local waste water systems, resulting in highly contaminated effluents. Most effluents from cotton processing arise in the finishing stage and are characterized by their highly polluting load, high solid content and high temperature. In Sweden, for instance, every kilogram of textiles manufactured uses almost half a kilogram of chemical, most of which ends up in waste water. Chemicals can also remain in the final product, which can cause health problems. In the user or consumer phase, environmental problems arise from the use of energy, water and chemicals for washing, drying and ironing. Further environmental damage occurs in the transportation stages of the cotton chain as fibre, yarn, fabrics and finished textiles are moved around the world at different stages in production."

Finally, good luck with your dissertation, I would be very interested in reading it when you've finished since not many people have looked specifically at that question!

Please keep in touch.

William Lana

G R E E N F I B R E S
99 high street, totnes,
devon tq9 5pf uk
t: 01803 868 001 f: 01803 868 002
www.greenfibres.com

"Consumers pay three times when they buy intensively farmed food. Firstly they pay at the shop till. Next, they pay for the same food through their taxes, as modern farming is subsidised through the tax system. Thirdly, the consumer pays again to clean up the damage to the environment caused during the growing and raising of food." Jules Pretty, director for the Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex

USEFUL SITES

Organic Textiles Q&A - Soil Association

PAN UK - Wear Organic

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Organic Clothing and Bedding

2006-07-26T09:14:00.000Z

1. You avoid contact with synthetic chemical surface treatments.
A switch to an organic mattress and organic bedding will instantly reduce your exposure by about one third – or whatever proportion of the day you spend in bed. One of the most common fire retardants used on mattresses – boric acid – is also used to kill rats!

2. You support organic farming.
By choosing organic clothing, you divert your disposable income towards supporting organic agriculture, which will encourage more farmers to employ environmentally friendly farming methods.

3. You support ethical and safe working practices.
Farmers working on organic farms are exposed to fewer chemicals. Each year, an estimated 60 million pounds of organophosphate pesticides are applied to U.S. agricultural crops and an additional 17 million pounds are used per year for non-agricultural uses, such as in household pest control products and lawn and garden sprays.

4. You support the use of natural colour and natural dyed fabrics.
Dyeing fabrics and yarns consumes a great deal of energy and produces large quantities of toxic waste. Natural-grown colours remove this processing stage altogether, while natural dyes are generally much less polluting than synthetics.

5. You support fair and ethical trade practices.
There is a strong and growing link between organic and ethical practices among groweres, manufacturers and retailers. Soil Association organic textiles standards now contain the most comprehensive requirements for safe working practices and fair trade.

6. You reduce the allergens present in the environment.
By choosing chemical-free, organic fabrics, you help to reduce the background level of potentially allergenic chemical compounds. A recent U S National Academy of Sciences study suggested that one in four developmental and behavioural problems in children may be linked to genetic and environmental factors, including exposure to lead, mercury and organophosphate pesticides.

7. You save on toxic waste.
Organic fabrics can be composted safely, without contributing to toxins in the soil.

8. You support biodiversity.
Organic farming aids biodiversity at every level of the food chain, by using fewer pesticides and fertilisers and by adopting wildlife-friendly habitat management techniques.

9. You save energy.
Conventional farming is a huge consumer of non-renewable fossil fuels. Organic farms tend to use less energy, instead focusing on careful ecological management and natural balances to solve pest problems.

10. You can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
What you wear says something about you, even if it doesn't have a slogan printed on it!

Phil Chandler
www.greenfibres.com
July 2006
25 July 2006 15:11:02

How to get a chemical-free night's sleep

2006-05-05T13:41:00.000Z

If you are among the growing number of people whose lives are made almost intolerable by chemical sensitivities, changing to an organic mattress and organic bedding may be the answer to getting a good night's sleep.

Even if you are not especially intolerant of the chemicals used in the manufacture of conventional cotton, polyurethane foams and adhesives, but are concerned about what they may be doing to you over time, a switch to an organic mattress and organic bedding will instantly reduce your exposure by about one third – or whatever proportion of the day you spend in bed.

One of the highest potential chemical pollutant risks may come not so much from your conventional mattress itself as the surface treatment often applied to make it fire-proof. One of the most common fire retardants – boric acid – is also used to kill rats.i

Despite fierce opposition from doctors and health campaigners, legislation has recently been passed in the USA to make flame-proofing compulsory on all new mattresses soldii. This means that Americans now need a doctor's prescription to buy a mattress that does not contain toxic and potentially carcinogenic chemicals!

In Canada, researchers are calling for a ban on flame-retardant chemicals that have been found in the breast milk of Inuit womeniii. Because of the patterns of atmospheric circulation, these pollutants tend to settle in cold regions, where they get into the food chain and become concentrated in fatty tissues.

The UK is currently the only European countryiv to require specific flame-testing of furniture fillings and we use around 1500 tonnes of bromine-based chemical fire retardants each year. Bromine is a naturally-occurring substance, which has a range of toxic effects. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention comments:

“No specific antidote exists for bromine poisoning... The most important thing is for people to remove themselves from the exposure site and seek medical treatment as soon as possible.”v

So far, research into the long-term effects of such chemicals seems woefully inadequate. One of the UK Department of Trade and Industry's own publications states:

“It is not possible with the presently available information to make quantitative estimates of the exposures by people using consumer products containing flame retardants. There is limited recent work in this area (e.g. CPSC 1997, 1998b) and there is the need for further work. ”vi

Despite this admission, the report continues:

“The limited work available and the application of basic judgement (in the absence of other guidance) suggests that exposures to flame retardants in consumer products are unlikely to be greater than a few μg/kg-bodyweight/day. Therefore we can conclude that at the low levels of exposure envisaged flame retardants of low toxic potency are unlikely to have adverse toxicological effects.”

Do you feel safer now?

All organic bedding products sold by Greenfibres use natural materials derived from organic farming methods, thus avoiding all toxic fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Not only does this offer great benefits to the farmers and the environment, but also enables you to choose products made according to strict organic certification standards, which will be inherently safer for you and your family.

Needless to say, we use no fire-retardants..

- ### -

P J Chandler
www.greenfibres.com
mail@greenfibres.com
01803 868001

Further information

http://www.lifekind.com/catalog/chemical_glossary.php A useful chemical glossary.

http://www.peopleforcleanbeds.org/ Campaigning site with a lot of information about toxins and the US regulations on flame-proofing mattresses.

http://www.chemicalfree.co.uk An excellent site for UK readers with chemical intolerances.

Underwear First To Get Organic Approval

2006-04-30T21:02:00.000Z

A range of underwear supplied by mail order retailer Greenfibres is the first in the UK to be given the stamp of Organic approval by the Soil Association. This is the first step towards full UK Organic Certification for the pioneering company, about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Other Greenfibres products to be Soil Association certified for the first time include a range of organic cotton towels and a selection of socks. While most people have some idea of the reasons why organic food might be better for us and the environment, the idea of buying organic clothes is not one that may occur to many of us. Gabriela Lana, co-director of Greenfibres, says, "The textiles industry causes a great deal of pollution and has rather dubious working practices. Organic clothing is just one more step towards living an ethical and eco-friendly life." The textile industry is indeed a major source of pollution, using about one quarter of the pesticides applied to crops worldwide. Over 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw fibres into clothes, towels, bedding and other household goods. Some of these (such as organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates and organochlorines) have been associated with cancer, birth defects, and hormonal disruption. Reproductive effects have also been noted, including male fish developing female characteristics. To grow the cotton for one T-shirt, around 150 grams of pesticides and fertiliser are used. Organic textiles are derived from crops grown without chemicals, using eco-friendly methods. No toxic chemicals are used in their manufacture and surface dressings are either absent or eco-friendly. All Greenfibres Organic products are certified by one of the major European agencies, which include Bioland (Germany), Demeter (Germany) and SKAL (Netherlands), and only recently has it become possible to certify organic textiles in the UK. - ### - NOTES 1. William Lana, co-director of Greenfibres, is chair of the Soil Association's Textiles Standards Committee 2. William and Gabriela Lana started Greenfibres from their sitting room in 1996. Turnover this year is expected to exceed £1M ADDITIONAL INFORMATION About Soil Association Organic Textiles Standards (from SA web site) The standards cover the processing and manufacture of all natural fibres including leather and skins. The manufacturing of organic textiles uses methods that ensure minimal damage to humans and the environment. All inputs must be assessed on their biodegradability and their toxicity to fish, algae and water fleas. In addition, inputs are not allowed if it is suspected, or proven, that the chemicals or processes used can cause cancer, birth defects or changes to reproductive organs. Suspected or proven allergens are also banned. The conditions under which organic fibres can be grown are covered in existing organic standards. The use of herbicides is prohibited and artificial pesticides are severely restricted. All animals will be reared to organic standards and no genetically modified (GM) inputs are allowed. Other organisations certifying organic textiles A number of other organisations currently certify organic textiles, but the Soil Association is the first UK certifier to do so. Other labels you might see on textiles include KRAV (Sweden), Demeter (Germany), IVN - International Association of Natural Textile Manufacturers (Germany), SKAL (Holland). There are other labels such as Agrocel (India) which are trade organisations as opposed to independent certifiers. In developing our standards we reviewed all those currently available to ensure we captured the best and most appropriate standards from elsewhere. In particular we worked within the criteria laid down by IFOAM regarding toxicity (to humans and wildlife) and biodegradability when deciding which chemicals and processes are acceptable. IFOAM is the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – an international umbrella organisation for organic standards. The Soil Association is the only UK certifier that is accredited by IFOAM. For a garment to be labelled organic by the Soil Association, raw materials must contain at least 95% organic materials – excluding accessories such as buttons and zips. The remaining 5% can be made up of a limited range of non-organic fibres if insufficient organic material is available. If an item contains 70% - 94% organic materials by weight, it must be labelled “made with xx% organic materials.” QUOTES From Soil Association web site: "According to the WHO, 20,000 deaths occur in developing countries each year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides used on crops, of which many, due to their relative toxicity, can be attributed to cotton. In Benin in West Africa, 24 people died as a result of poisoning from cotton pesticides in 2000 – this included 11 children under the age of 10." RESOURCES Greenfibres - www.greenfibres.com 99 High Street, Totnes, Devon TQ9 5PF 01803 868001 mail@greenfibres.com Soil Association - http://www.soilassociation.org/ IFOAM - http://www.ifoam.org/ (IFOAM = International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements – an international umbrella organisation for organic standards. The Soil Association is the only UK certifier accredited by IFOAM.) SKAL - http://www.skal.com/ Bioland - http://www.bioland.de/bioland/english.html Demeter - http://www.demeter.net/ (biodynamic certification)
25 April 2006 10:04:38	Author/source: Phil Chandler