7 Reasons Why You Should Prefer Organic Cotton Clothing
By Ugur Akinci
Regardless of your fashion choice, whether you are wrapped in cool
island clothing or just stepped out of a fashion clothing store, give
organic cotton a serious thought. Here are 7 reasons why:
1) Organic cotton is the environmentally responsible way to raise cotton. A full 25% of all the insecticide used in the world is used to cultivate "conventional cotton." All that poison seeps into the soil and leaks into underground water tables, presenting an environmental hazard for all of us.
2) Organic cotton is not bleached out with harmful chemicals and
bleaching agents. It is whitened by peroxide solutions. Thus it is safe
for general consumer use.
3) It does not have any residues of fungicides, pesticides,
insecticides that can harm your skin and impact your health. Thus it is
safe.
4) During harvest time, the leaves of "conventional cotton" are
stripped off the plant by highly toxic defoliant agents. Organic
cotton, on the other hand, is harvested through natural defoliation
methods that include harvesting in cold weather and using water
management techniques.
5) Conventional cotton is printed with pigments containing heavy
metals in them which eventually find their way to underground water
streams and pollute our waterways. The organic variety, on the other
hand, is printed with natural pigments with no heavy metals in them.
6) Cotton cloth manufacturing includes a necessary step called "warp
fiber stabilization." For the conventional variety, this fiber
stabilization is achieved by using waxes with toxic chemicals. Organic
fibers are stabilized with cornstarch, which does not include any toxic
chemicals, or by using the "double plying" technique.
7) Organic cotton looks good with its natural pastel colors and clean
texture. It provides excellent air circulation in hot summer months
and soft comfort in cold weather. It is the telltale sign of the
environmentally-responsible sophisticated consumer.