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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Why buying organic clothes can help your health

By MJ Erwin

As the responsiveness for global warming spreads, many people now try to live a 'greener' lifestyle. People are opting to eat more natural foods and try to make use of renewable energy sources. But these are not the only way we can participate in saving the environment. Unknown to most people, even the way we choose to dress can leave a huge impact on the environment.

Organic clothing is identified as clothing that is made from resources that are raised or grown without the use of chemicals in the form of pesticides - herbicides or other chemicals. Its key material, cotton, is grown entirely naturally in farms the same way cotton has been grown long before the appearance of chemicals like pesticides began.

Though organic cotton has less environmental impact than conventional cotton, it costs more to produce. Side-effects of conventional production that are avoided in organic growing methods include:

High levels of agrochemicals are used in the production of non-organic, conventional cotton. Conventional cotton is responsible for nearly 25% of the insecticides and 10% of the pesticides used in the world, though is it grown on only 3% of the total cultivated area. The excessive use of chemicals in conventional cotton made it rank fourth as the most heavily-fertilized crop.

The chemicals used in the processing of cotton pollute the air and surface waters. Eco-friendly farmers try to find different ways to lessen the amount of harmful chemicals they put into the ground, as these chemicals mix into the soil. This will eventually affect vegetation and animal life through many years to come. These chemicals may also seep into natural fresh water deep underground and contaminate it. As many other farmers begin to realize this, instead of using synthetic fertilizers which messes up the soil's PH balance, many are now turning to natural composting. Pesticides can throw off the food chain and affect larger animals, so organic farmers introduce beneficial insects and predators, as well as setting up insect traps to have a specific area for insect control.

Left over chemicals may irritate the skin. Since the fabrication of organic clothing involves no chemicals, it has fewer irritants, making it the perfect textile for infants' delicate skin and people who have allergies. It can also give off a pleasing smell and is supposed to minimize respiratory problems.

Organic cotton clothing is much more expensive than non-organic cotton clothing but the price is definitely worth it. These type of clothing wear better and are much durable than conventional cotton and is often more breathable than synthetic materials.

Organic cotton has unique properties that set it apart from synthetic cottons found on most major retailers. The colour brown, for instance, darkens slightly during the first three washings. Since organic cotton is not stripped of its natural wax by chemicals, most weaves have a unique smoothness and weight which makes the fabric particularly flattering. Organic cotton can be dyed using natural dyes as well. Aside from being eco-friendly and beneficial to health, organic clothing is a beautiful and stylish material.

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