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PM82_final.indd 1 20/10/2014 14:33 Choosing Sustainable Tex t i le s

ocal and organic food is growing There are serious issues to address, at rivers, as well as killing an estimated in popularity, with even the all stages of the process, and one of the 16,000 people annually.1 biggest supermarket brands worst offenders is the cotton industry. Thankfully, there is a revolution promoting regionally-distinctive pro underway. The Fairtrade movement is ducts.L It seems we’re all becoming Cotton improving farmers’ wages, Fair Wear more selective about what we put into The cotton industry has a roll call of are improving factory conditions, and our bodies. What we wear on our offences: farmers and factory workers more companies are seeking to reduce bodies, on the other hand, is perhaps receive very low wages; they work waste and increase fabric recycling, as given less consideration. in dangerous factory conditions; are well as looking for alternative, organic This is despite decades of horror surrounded by harmful chemicals; and ethical textiles. stories about sweatshops, manu ecosystems are damaged by excessive facturing conditions in the cotton pesticide and herbicide use; and because Organic Cotton industry and the carbon footprint of the clothing produced is of poor quality, Cotton is always going to be a highly fashion. But it’s time to wake up! Just with a limited shelf-life, there is a high water-intensive crop, but the benefits as our supermarkets evolved with degree of waste at the end of it. of organic cotton are clear: healthy soil consumer demand, the clothing The mainstream cotton industry with high organic matter prevents soil industry needs to do the same. uses 23% of the world’s insecticides and erosion and run-off. It also enables To date, our desire for cheap, 10% of all pesticides, despite taking up higher water retention, so less watering new clothes has pushed the clothing just 3% of farmed land globally! It is is needed. Furthermore, organic cotton industry in a catastrophic direction. responsible for poisoning wildlife and eliminates the use of harmful chemicals,

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Bamboo Bamboo is a highly sustainable plant and is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to cotton. It is believed to be the fastest-growing plant in the world, and grows naturally without fertilisers, requiring little water. Bam- boo produces high yields with low inputs and is cut rather than uprooted. It then regrows without needing to be © Environmental Justice Foundation/Rapanui replanted, which promotes soil stability. Bamboo produces a soft-as-silk textile that is kind to skin. Its fibre is 100% biodegradable. According to Bamboo Clothing (BAM),4 the yield of bamboo is 10 times more per field area than cotton. However, the manufacturing of bamboo is less sustainable, as it which otherwise wash into waterways Above: A modern, clean, well lit, organic requires high energy input. and the ecosystem; encourages bio- cotton production plant in India. Below: Bamboo fabric is a reconstructed or diversity among plants and insects; Organic cotton dress. Below right: ‘semi synthetic’ fabric, so instead of and prevents toxic chemicals being Bamboo t-shirt / organic cotton hoody. possessing a naturally occurring fibr transferred into the final product. ous consistency, which can be spun It is grown using either ‘natural’ into threads, it is first reduced down chemicals like sulphur dust and organic to the most basic elements at molecular acid-based sprays (such as citric acid, level (polymers). This is then shot nitrogen and zinc sulphate), or through through a nozzle to make stringy fibres inter-cropping with maize, sunflower, that get spun into a fabric. sweet sorghum, pigeon pea and okra, If you are interested in buying bam- which act as a decoy for pests. boo clothing be aware that bamboo Currently, organic cotton only counts can be converted into a usable material towards 1% of global cotton produc through either a chemical or mechanical tion, but more and more farmers are process. The sustainable and ecological making the transition. Ironically, while process is mechanical as this prevents the demand for organic cotton is grow the use of harmful chemicals. Eco- ing, production is presently limited by factories must have certification to prove a lack of availability of non-GM seed.2

Hemp A variety of Cannabis sativa L, hemp is probably the most popular cotton alternative. It is grown in temperate climates and the plant can grow up to 4.8m (16ft). However, those grown for fibre are planted closer together, reaching heights of 2-3m (6-10ft), with no branches. To extract the fibre inside, the hemp stems go through a process of retting,3 drying and crushing, releasing long, fairly straight fibres, averaging 1.8m (5.8ft). These are then steamed to release any natural binders, leaving an easily weavable fibre. Many farmers who grow hemp as a rotation crop praise it for excelling without the need for fertiliser, and for aerating the soil as it grows. Hemp has many uses as well as for making fabric: these include the production of paper, oil, seed, building materials, pharma-

ceuticals and even car body parts. © Jen McKenna – www.moo-boutique.co.uk © Rapanui – www.rapanuiclothing.com

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their process doesn’t use chemicals, It is believed to completely degrade in one being the OEKO-TEX® System.5 just eight days in a waste treatment Manufacturers who do follow this plant. In 2000, the Tencel® manufact- system produce high-quality bamboo uring process received the ‘European material, which is a sustainable alter- Award for the Environment’ from the native to cotton. Furthermore, bamboo European Union. material is thermo-regulating, breath- Although the process of creating able, hypo-allergenic and very comfort- eucalyptus material may be considered able to wear. semi-sustainable, the planting and growing of it is, unfortunately, far Eucalyptus / Lyocell more environmentally destructive. Eucalyptus is a woody, flowering tree, Where large plantations are grown, it or sometimes shrub. There are around tends to be that huge expanses of 700 different species, mostly found in forest have been destroyed. The Iberian Australia and southeast Asia. Several Peninsula across Spain and Portugal is varieties also grow in Europe, North just one example of such devastation. America and Africa. It is a fast-growing The Iberian Peninsula is home to diverse ecosystems including the critically-endangered Iberian lynx, Spanish imperial eagle and great buzzard, as well as many plants and trees, including the native cork © Rapanui – www.rapanuiclothing.com oaks (Quercus suber) and holm oaks (Quercus ilex) – most of which have Above: Eucalyptus t-shirt. Left: Hemp been felled. Portugal has the second hooded jacket. Below and title picture: largest eucalyptus plantation in the Organic wool is used to make a wide world (300,000 hectares / 741,000 range of natural clothing. acres). Unfortunately, it has caused severe degradation of the environment, and toxic chemicals are not used in the draining marshland and destroying manufacturing process – producing a

© Hoodlamb – www.hoodlamb.com vital woodland in the area. final product that is natural, renew able, soft and durable. Wool Wool’s other eco-credentials include Farmers who produce organic wool absorbing harmful pollutants from follow strict standards. These are set by the air, which are not re-emitted. It is The Soil Association in the UK and the estimated that wool used in interiors, Organic Trade Association in the US. for example, can help purify the air for plant that has attracted attention for Farmers take a preventative ap up to 30 years. At the end of its life, its oil, which can be used for cleaning proach to disease, so that animals are wool can be returned to the soil, where and as a natural insecticide. However, given as few antibiotics as possible; the it decomposes very quickly, releasing eucalyptus also makes an excellent sheep feed from chemical-free fields; valuable nutrients into the ground as fabric. It is known as lyocell when it is it degrades. in fabric form. Eucalyptus is similar to bamboo in Organic Ink & Natural Dyes that, being woody, it takes significant As well as making sure the materials energy to convert it to a soft fibre used in the clothing industry are before it can be used for clothing. sustainable and ecological, colouring Some people have questioned how and printing needs to follow the same ecological eucalyptus material is, given principles. Natural dyes have been this process, and because formaldehyde used for hundreds of years, so moving is sometimes used to break the matter the industry towards these is easier down. However, companies such as than finding new, safe inks. Tencel® (the main producers of lyocell) There are various issues with main avoid chemicals and use only Euro stream inks, including that many Stewardship Council certified pulp. © Paige Green – www.fibershed.bigcartel.com contain a range of Volatile Organic The only chemical Tencel® does use Chemicals (VOCs). The alternative to is the non-toxic solvent ‘amine oxide’, these highly chemical inks, are water- used to digest the wood pulp. The based ones, which don’t contain production system is also closed loop, solvents, PVC or phthalates.6 This reusing the water and solvent. The end means there are no harmful chemicals pulp can be recycled and biodegrades. to wash away.

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What to Choose? Ultimately, the real solution, as a Hemp, bamboo and eucalyptus seem consumer, is to recognise that fashion better candidates for a sustainable is all about making money – so in order alternative to cotton than simply to see change, we must vote with our organic cotton, as they grow faster, pockets! We need to stop buying into need less water and take up less space the throwaway culture of fashion while growing. They are also grown seasons and instead invest in reputable, and manufactured in America and long-lasting items. After all, true value Europe, where it is easier to track that is not in quantity, but in quality harmful chemicals aren’t being used in the process – and to ensure that © Paige Green – www.fibershed.bigcartel.com Rozie Apps is assistant editor and social farmers and factory workers receive media guru at Permaculture magazine. a fair wage! Obviously choosing materials with Permaculture magazine has teamed up eco-credentials is very important, but with Rapanui, a UK-based ethical cloth it is crucial to see the whole picture by ing company, to launch its very own also scrutinising the manufacturing Permaculture clothing range. Rapanui process and the conditions of the prod- produce beautiful t-shirts and sweaters, ucers. The Fairtrade Organisation has Above: Harvesting indigo for dying. which are as artistic as they are comfort been working since 1992 to make sure Below right: Bamboo dress. able, using organic cotton, bamboo and farmers and workers across the globe eucalyptus. Rapanui source their pro receive a fair wage for their harvests. standards to ensure factory workers are ducts from factories that follow the Today, there are over 1.4 million treated fairly, and are working with Fair Wear principles and colour them farmers and workers in 1,140 Fairtrade companies in the clothing industry with safe dyes. We feel strongly about organisations, across 74 countries. to improve conditions. Currently, the sustainable fashion and know our read Buying products with the Fairtrade organisation has not found any one ers do too... To see our new range visit: mark is a promise that you are sup- product that they consider to be 100% https://permaculture.teemill.co.uk porting “farmers and workers as they fair, but Fair Wear do have a list of work to improve their lives and their brands who are performing at 90%, and References communities. The mark means that the are working hard towards achieving 1 http://tiny.cc/soil_assoc_cotton Fairtrade ingredients in the product that additional 10%. 2 http://tiny.cc/farmhub have been produced by small-scale Fair Wear states, “Supply chains are 3 farmer organisations or plantations complicated and international – which http://tiny.cc/retting that meet Fairtrade social, economic means no single factory, brand or 4 www.bambooclothing.co.uk and environmental standards. The government can improve things alone. 5 www.oeko-tex.com standards include protection of workers’ This kind of change doesn’t happen 6 http://tiny.cc/Phthalate rights and the environment, payment overnight. So no, we don’t certify. We 7 of the Fairtrade Minimum Price and an report, so you can check on how your http://tiny.cc/fairtrade_workers additional Fairtrade Premium to invest favourite Fair Wear member brands 8 http://tiny.cc/fairwear in business or community projects.”7 are performing.”8 There is also a non-profit called Fair Wear, which works to improve con The Future ditions in the factories where materials Although there is some great progress are turned into products. Left unreg being made, there are so many elements ulated, these factories have been of the clothing industry that still need known to provide terrible working to evolve. However, if each link in the conditions, low wages, employ young chain moves towards ecological and children and even cause deaths. ethical standards, this evolution will Fair Wear have created a list of labour happen more quickly.

Five Purse-Friendly Tips for a More Sustainable Wardrobe 1 . Buy ‘pre-loved’ clothes from charity shops or online auctions. 2. Ask for a special item of eco-clothing as a birthday or holiday gift. 3. Hold a clothes swap with friends! 4. Save up to buy Fairtrade and eco-brands as a special treat. 5. Invest in timeless, quality fabrics and styles that will last for years. If you calculate cost per wear, it’s a bargain! © BAM Bamboo Clothing – www.bambooclothing.co.uk © BAM

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Case Study The Clothing

byLocavore Poppy Nicol

© Paige Green/Fibershed ounder of Fibershed, Rebecca Burgess, was exasperated Growing Colour with the injustices of the fashion industry. So she set The development of farming and production fibre apprentice- herself a one year challenge – to only wear clothing ships, community land grants and land trusts, DIY dye and weaving sourced within 150 miles of her California home. This led her to labs are fertilising and diversifying at the California Fibershed. Fcreate a proto-type wardrobe, with dyes, fibres and labour all The organisation is involved in mapping regional artisan sourced from her bioregion: soil to skin. “Instead of continuously farmers, producers and designers and developing sales outlets feeling down-trodden by the stories behind my material culture, which include two farmers’ markets and an online directory of I decided to change the narrative – beginning with my wardrobe,” certified farmers and retailers. Rebecca explains. As well as supporting small-scale fibre and dye producers, Fibershed is working with urban communities to increase acreage Diverse Bioregions of productive fibre and dye gardens. These include plants such Rebecca began to question fibre production whilst exploring the as indigo (Indigofera tinctoria), pokeberry (Phytolacca americana), ethnobotany of a number of Native American Indians. She coffee berry (Rhamnus californica), Californian golden rod witnessed intimate relationships with the bioregions inhabited (Solidago californica), coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), sticky and dense polycultures of food, medicines and dialects. monkey (Mimulus aurantiacus) and wild sage (Salvia verbenaca). Rebecca was also inspired by the artisan industries of northern Such fibres and colours can be particularly effective as regener- Thailand where gardens full of natural dyes and fibres, such ative crops on brownfield sites. as indigo, grow alongside mango, pineapple, tamarind and citrus. Amidst these rich polycultures, local textile economies FiberLabs were thriving. Fibershed is also in the process of developing a FiberLab. This These encounters and an intensifying awareness of the space will offer workshops on milling, spinning, felt-making, devastating water and soil damage left by textile industries embroidery and dying. led to Rebecca’s challenge. From this emerged Fibershed, an This will include space and equipment for individuals and organisation seeking to support and develop more regional, small businesses to hire, via a membership scheme. The labs will ecologically-balanced, community-organised textile cultures. also host research exploring the potential of fibre-wool blends and fibre-food production. There are four key components to Fibershed’s vision: Although Fibershed originated in California, there are now a growing number of bioregional Fibersheds across the US and 1. To encourage reliance upon renewable energy sources beyond. They host the annual international Wool Symposium in while reducing the extent of petrochemically-reliant Pont Reyes. For more information see: www.fibershed.com textile industries; For a directory of farmer/artisans and the wonderful range of 2. Increase organic production and reduce toxic dye residues garments produced see: www.fibershed.bigcartel.com and use of herbicides and pesticides; Poppy Nicol is a community gardener and researcher based in 3. Decentralise textile supply chains and support regional South Wales. communities of artisan-farmers, producers and designers; Further Reading 4. Empower communities to support and develop these Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes emerging Fibersheds through education and training. by Rebecca Burgess, ISBN: 9781579654252.

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