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Benefits of Organic Clothing Organic clothing is one way to live a “greener” lifestyle that supports the environment. Reducing Allergens If you have skin sensitivities, the pesticides, herbicides, chemicals and artificial dyes present in regular cotton can aggravate dermatological conditions. On the other hand, organic fibers are hypoallergenic and free of chemicals or pollutants. Clothing made from the bamboo plant is antimicrobial, which means that it naturally kills bacteria. This is in contrast to regularly grown cotton, which continues to release pollutants such as carbon dioxide after it is crafted into a cotton T-shirt and worn by the unsuspecting consumer. Reducing Toxic Chemicals According to Planet Forward, the estimated amount of herbicides and pesticides used in traditional cotton farming is 25 percent of all global use. Five pesticides, including cyanide and propargite, are classified as carcinogenic substances by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is dangerous, because not only do these chemicals soak into the fibers and end up in your clothes and bedsheets, but also the chemical runoff saturates the ground and ends up in your food, drinking water and the air you breathe. Organic materials are grown toxin-free, reducing the amount of toxic chemicals we ingest and release into the earth.

Benefits of Organic Clothing

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Page 1: Benefits of Organic Clothing

Benefits of Organic Clothing

Organic clothing is one way to live a “greener” lifestyle that supports the environment.

Reducing Allergens

If you have skin sensitivities, the pesticides, herbicides, chemicals and artificial dyes

present in regular cotton can aggravate dermatological conditions. On the other hand,

organic fibers are hypoallergenic and free of chemicals or pollutants. Clothing made from

the bamboo plant is antimicrobial, which means that it naturally kills bacteria. This is in

contrast to regularly grown cotton, which continues to release pollutants such as carbon

dioxide after it is crafted into a cotton T-shirt and worn by the unsuspecting consumer.

Reducing Toxic Chemicals

According to Planet Forward, the estimated amount of herbicides and pesticides used in

traditional cotton farming is 25 percent of all global use. Five pesticides, including cyanide

and propargite, are classified as carcinogenic substances by the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA). This is dangerous, because not only do these chemicals soak into

the fibers and end up in your clothes and bedsheets, but also the chemical runoff saturates

the ground and ends up in your food, drinking water and the air you breathe. Organic

materials are grown toxin-free, reducing the amount of toxic chemicals we ingest and

release into the earth.

Page 2: Benefits of Organic Clothing

Saving Money -

Clothes made from organic

fibers are surprisingly durable. A regular

cotton T-shirt lasts for approximately 10 to 20

machine wash cycles, before the fibers within

the material begin to break apart. Clothes made

from materials such as bamboo or organic

cotton last for more than 100 machine washes,

before the fibers begin to break apart. Hemp

clothing, made from one of nature’s most

durable materials, lasts for decades and is more

porous than cotton. This means that clothing made from hemp is easier to dye and is

naturally fade-resistant. Clothes that last longer and keep their color longer are more

economical, because they don’t have to be replaced as often.

Superior Quality

Traditionally grown cotton is heavily processed after it is harvested. During the

crafting stage, the cotton is stripped of its natural waxes, and synthetic wax is added,

along with soil and flame retardants, bleaches, chemical softeners and at the end, a

formaldehyde spray. Organic cotton, on the other hand, retains its natural wax and

therefore its characteristic shine, weight and smoothness. Hemp has been used to

make clothing for thousands of years and is now being rediscovered, because the

material is antimicrobial and mold resistant, blocks UV and UVB rays and helps keep

moisture away from the skin. These qualities have led many people to believe that

organic fabrics are superior in quality to synthetic fabrics.

Supporting Environmental Principles

The environmental principles of fair trade are embodied in fair trade practices such as

providing safe work environments, developing responsible trade relations, creating

equal employment opportunities and positively impacting communities. With

traditional cotton farming, the sheer amount of chemicals used in the process makes

the working environment unsafe for employees and pollutes neighboring communities.

This is one of the greatest benefits of organic clothing, because the growing process

is nontoxic for both employees and locals, which supports many of the fair trade or

environmental principles.