Organic Clothing

he coming generations have their existence at stake and the world might end earlier than we 3. O r g a n i c H e m p : Tassume, thanks to the pain and suffering that we Hemp is a crop similar cause to the planet we live on! Constant deforestation, to bamboo, resistant the menace of non-biodegradable substances, endless to most pests and environmental pollution, food chain contamination are diseases and requires little water to merely a few issues not so difficult to name and define. It grow. Hemp fibres are very much is high time we went green and organic. durable and stronger than cotton fibre. Because these fibres are One gradually pacing contender in the eco-friendly fundamentally coarse in texture, industry is Organic Clothing. The term 'organic clothing' their main uses were limited to may bring to your mind handspun, coarse-textured khadi making ropes. However, modern fabric. You often associate it with the 1970s' concept of technology and breeding practices Indian traditional wear, which does not appear to be have made this fibre more flexible, much in vogue. But this is not true. Manufacturers of soft and finer to use for clothing. organic fabrics and alternative fibres across the world have started to innovate and offer you a variety of styles, 4. Soy Fabric: Fibres of the soy textures and colours. And it is all eco-friendly. fabric are obtained from the hulls of soybeans, which is a Why Organic Clothing manufacturing byproduct. The Studies by the Indian Textile Journal have found that the s o y f a b r i c i s m a i n l y widely spread textile industries generate a substantial biodegradable, thus leaving the amount of waste in the form of water, energy and least impact on the environment. hazardous chemicals every year from manufacturing, Soy fabrics are moisture absorbent, anti-bacterial and dyeing and finishing processes. This severely damages UV resistant. the environment through water body pollution, air emission of volatile organic compounds as well as 5. Organic Cotton: Organic cotton is the most popular excessive noise and foul odour. organic fabric, particularly in the Indian organic textile industry. It is grown without genetic modification to Organic fabrics are manufactured using all-natural and the crops and without the use of any pesticides, non-synthetic materials. Organic clothing materials fertilizers and other synthetic agro-chemicals to the come from crops that have not been genetically modified land. Organic cotton is soft to touch and keeps you or treated with synthetic or chemical pesticides and away from skin allergies. According to the Organic fertilizers. The criteria for labelling a given fabric or Trade Association, India is one of the largest producers textile material as organic follow a cradle-to-grave of organic cotton in the world. approach, i.e. from raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, usage and disposal. A few Identifying Organic Clothing varities available are: To identify genuine organic clothing, look for an appropriate certification mark: 1. Naturally Coloured Cotton: Your normal perception of the cotton crop is the homogeneously white buds. Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS) is a worldwide However, another variety of cotton is the one accepted standard for eco-friendly textiles and fabrics. It naturally grown in varities of colours like mauve, red, is applicable to all the processes in textiles and provides yellow and orange. This earlier practice has been demanding environmental as well as social criteria. recently revived in the modern market, considering its Indian manufacturers such as Organic Clothing India, Do significance in reducing harmful environmental U Speak Green, Organic Clothes India, etc. use this impact. Such naturally coloured cotton does not certification mark. require synthetic colouring and the colour does not fade that soon as compared to synthetically dyed 'Ecomark' is an eco-labelling scheme, launched by the fabrics. Government of India in1991, for easy identification of environment-friendly products. The Government of India 2. Bamboo Fabric: Heavily pulped bamboo grass is has notified final criteria for 16 product categories which used in making bamboo fabrics. Bamboo grows faster include textiles. The criteria for Ecomark are applicable and that too without the need of pesticides or to processes from raw material extraction to agrochemicals. It is 100 per cent biodegradable and manufacturing to disposal of the product. has a silky feel. Source: indiantextilejournal.com; eartheasy.com

44 INSIGHT-The Consumer Magazine SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2012