I'm picky about cotton

This hub explains the difference between organic and fair trade cotton, why it is important, and gives details of a few Uk based retailers that sell organic and fair trade cottom clothes. If you live in any part of the world, it is possible to buy organic and fair trade cotton items via the internet. The number of retailers seems to grow by the week.

Why you should be picky about cotton

The choices that we make when purchasing clothes can have an impact on the physical environment, and the lives of people on the other side of the world.

It is difficult to imagine that cotton is anything other than good and wholesome. It is a white and fluffy, natural product.

Cotton is one of the most widely grown and chemical-intensive crops in the world. Growing and harvesting the one pound of cotton fibre needed to make a t-shirt takes an enormous toll on air quality, water resources and soil productivity, and has a significant impact on the health of people in cotton-growing area.

Furthermore, the process of transforming the raw product into the finished garments sold in shops can involve working practices that could be seen as unfair, with low wages and possibly unsafe working conditions.

As a purchaser, you have it within your power to change things! If you can, choose cotton products that are certified as Organic and/or Fairtrade. These two certifications are complimentary, and many producers benefit from both, but there are important differences.

Organic cotton is grown using methods that have a low impact on the environment. The production methods used replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic pesticides and fertilisers and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certification organisations verify that producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production.

Fairtrade cotton has been on the market since November 2005. The Fairtrade certification process monitors the entire supply chain process, from farm production through manufacture to brand or retailer. The Fairtrade Standards include:

• Respect for basic human rights
• Decent wages and employment conditions
• Ongoing improvements in worker health & safety and environmental protection by control and reduction of chemical inputs

If you would like to know more, please see the following websites:

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/

http://www.ethicaltrade.org/

http://www.pan-uk.org/ (includes a directory of organic cotton retailers in the UK)

The number of retailers offering fair trade and/or organic cotton is growing. This is good news for those of us who try to make ethical choices and look stylish, because it means that there is more choose.

You can now find items on the High Street of any large town. I suggest you look at Marks and Spencers, Monsoon or New Look. Or take a look at their websites:

www.marksandspencers.com

www.monsoon.co.uk

www.newlook.co.uk

You may wish to explore some other more specialist suppliers. For casual or outdoor clothes, try www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk.

At the 'high end' of on-line retail, Toast offers some chic organic t-shirts. Take a look at www.toast.co.uk

I purchased the top pictured below from New Look in the autumn of 2007. I have worn it through the autumn and winter (often layers over a long-sleeved t-shirt), and it has washed well.

I have recently purchased a cardigan sweater made from 55% hemp and 45% organic cottton. It is a fine, light-weight knit and very comfortable to wear. I have found out that hemp crops are easily sustainable and require less water than cotton.

The product information tag on my new sweater says that a t-shirt made from 55% hemp and 45% cotton, as opposed to 100% cotton, saves up to 2800 litres of water. That would be enough to give one person clean drinking water for 2 years.

Also, hemp does not require huge amounts of persticides and herbicides (as cotton does) because it is naturally anitbacterial.

So, from now on I will be looking for added hemp.