Underwear First To Get Organic Approval

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