Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Some Things You Might Find Interesting About Organic Cotton

Recently I ordered some organic cotton undies & it came with a fact sheet. Thought I would share.

First, why conventional cotton undies are bad...

They are processed with chlorine bleach & hydrogen peroxide & formaldehyde is also applied in the processing of the fabric.

Dioxin is a carcinogen derived from chlorine bleach & is responsible for hormone disruption.

The dye process also has heavy metals that contain harmful carcinogens.

Conventional cotton production account for more than 10 percent of pesticides used & 23 percent of agricultural insecticide sales.

Contamination of ground water is directly linked to pesticide & fertilizer use on cotton crops. Nitrates found in these fertilizers are found to cause "blue baby syndrome" in infants.
Use of chemicals in processing makes the fibers weaker & therefore wear out faster.

Now the good news...
Organic cotton doesn't use any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Growing the crop organically doesn't damage the soil, environment or human health.

Organic cotton farming doesn't poisen farm workers or their families.

No GMO (genetically modified) is allowed in organic cotton.

Organic cotton is stronger due to the lack of chemical processing.

So what do you want to put next to your body? I know you are saying "But it is more expensive than regular underwear". Okay, good point. I understand that. But if you are buying cigarettes or eating fast food, or have other things you spend money on that you don't really need, maybe you could cut back on one of those things & be able to afford to buy organic. You only get one body in your lifetime. Treat it with care. It'll last longer.

8 comments:

Blondie's Journal said...

Barb,

This information is truly enlightening! I think it is great that consumers are no longer left out in the dark about so many dangerous things we use and consume.

As always, thanks for your advice!

xoxo
Jane

Barb said...

Thanks Jane. I know at one time I was unaware of all this information about the stuff we use everyday. It really opens one's eyes.

Judy T said...

Great information! Thanks for sharing.
Judy

Barb said...

You're welcome Judy.

Correne Quigley-Faysal said...

I agree about cutting back on items that we don't need, such as fast food,in order to afford items that are truly worth buying. It's all about priority. The same goes with food. Really like your blog, you are doing what my husband and I would like to do some day (he is also a cabinet and furniture maker)!

Barb said...

Thanks Correne & welcome to the blog. Hope some of the posts can help you to do some day the same things we are doing.
Barb

Lisa said...

I have switched to all organic underwear. You can even get it from Victoria's Secret now!

I only buy organic clothes at this point. If you watch for sales you don't end up spending much more, and sometimes I have spent less. Like I got organic jeans for $25 from The Gap, you never find regular jeans that cheap!

Barb said...

Hi Lisa,
I didn't know that about Victoria's Secret. Organic is definitely the way to go.