| Chances are you are wearing at least one article of | | | | environment which you can feel good about when |
| clothing made from cotton. The drawback is, if it is | | | | you purchase an item of clothing made from organic |
| made from conventionally grown cotton, huge | | | | fibers. |
| amounts of pesticides were used in order to create | | | | Organic clothing does have a more practical |
| it. In fact, cotton production uses about 2.5 percent | | | | advantage that directly affects your wallet as well. |
| of the world's farmable land but it uses 25 percent of | | | | Many organic clothes do have a premium over their |
| the world's pesticides. The negative environmental | | | | counterparts made from conventionally grown cotton. |
| impact aside, these pesticides pose health risks as | | | | However, it has been shown that organic clothing |
| well, especially for children. | | | | lasts much longer due to the lack of the fabric being |
| All of this is not intended to guilt you into purchasing | | | | harshly treated. When conventionally grown cotton is |
| organic cotton clothes. It is more to illustrate that | | | | made into fabric for production of clothes and other |
| choosing clothes made from organic cotton and other | | | | products that reaches retail stores, countless toxic |
| organic fibers such as hemp and bamboo are better | | | | chemicals are introduced at each stage. Then, the |
| options. The word "organic" has seen a meteoric rise | | | | fabric is scoured, washed, bleached, dyed, and |
| in public awareness but before you think that being | | | | sprayed all before it is shipped to be manufactured |
| organic is just a marketing ploy, there are legitimate | | | | into a shirt or any other product. The fabric has been |
| reasons why organic clothing is better, not just for | | | | pretty much abused from the start which wears |
| the environment, but also for you and your child. | | | | down the fibers. This translates into conventionally |
| One reason you should take note of is that farmers | | | | produced cotton material that lasts 10-20 washes |
| that are cultivating organic cotton crops are not | | | | before it starts to degrade. By contrast, organic |
| exposed to the hazardous chemicals that are used in | | | | cotton fabrics should last for 100 washes or more |
| pesticides. Instead of using these carcinogens, organic | | | | before it begins to degrade. Being able to keep your |
| farmers use natural methods to keep pests at bay. | | | | clothes ten times longer is such a huge money saving |
| For example, they might introduce insects that prey | | | | factor especially if you have children. The amount of |
| on the pests that cause damage to the crops or | | | | washes a parent does when having young children is |
| they will grow what is called "trap crops" to lure the | | | | always a shock so it is a boon to be able to have |
| pests away from the organic cotton crops. Using | | | | your kids' clothes for up to ten times longer. |
| these techniques, the workers are in a healthier | | | | |