The Cat is Organic: Organic Cotton & Ethical Shopping

domingo, 1 de setembro de 2013

Organic Cotton & Ethical Shopping

Today went Sunday Shopping,but buying consciously aka looking for Organic-Natural-Fair Trade items-is no piece of cake, specially on the largest shopping mall of the Iberian Peninsula,The Centro Comercial Colombo!

But somehow i seemed to manage:i bought a Blue Organic Cotton Sweater from Zara;an Organic Cotton Black dotted Tshirt from the L.O.G.G Label ( the H&m casual line in wich almost all its apparel,are Cotton Organic) and finally the Organic Bourjois Bio Détox Fondation.

H&m,Zara and C&A are Top Organic Cotton Users http://www.ecouterre.com/hm-still-worlds-no-1-buyer-of-organic-cotton/,but unfortunately, except for the annual Spring/Summer H&M Conscious Collection...

...there aren´t many apparel variety to choose from...since the Summer Conscious Collection was now over,i had to choose between a blue,white or a brown basic sweater and a beautiful, non organic cotton. envelope Jacket...,the choice wasnt easy but in the end,i choose the organic,afcourse!Off with the vanity!

The veredict?i love my new blue comfy organic sweater and iam quite happy for my conscious and ecological choice!

BUT ethical doesnt mean you have to look boring!Besides this basic organic sweaters you may commonly find in this popular brands,you can also look for quite fashionable ethical apparel online,check some of my favorites on the end of this post!

'Conventional' cotton DIRTY FACTS

Cotton is considered the world's 'dirtiest' crop due to its heavy use of insecticides, the most hazardous pesticide to human and animal health.

The pesticides used on 'conventional' cotton increasingly threaten people, wildlife and the environment. Most pesticides were originally developed as toxic nerve agents during WWII and it is no wonder they have been linked to many forms of cancers.

Conventionally-grown cotton occupies only 3% of the world's farmland, but uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides.

WHY is Organic Cotton better?

Organic cotton items are fashionable, durable, and healthier for your family. The greenest companies make organic cotton clothes without toxic chemical bleaches and finishers.

Choosing Organic also protect workers and communities by keeping thousands of tons of harmful pesticides out of the air, soil, and water!

So,give organic cotton a try for yourself and our environment!

You can try to start buying more organic cotton little by little – I started in my own home by buying pillowcases, washcloths, and t-shirts. Many familiar companies and stores now carry organic cotton products, and there is a range of prices, making it a reachable goal for everyone’s budget:

GAP

Levi’s

Bed, Bath and Beyond

Patagonia

Nike

LL Bean

H & M

The Organic Cotton Directory http://www.organiccottondirectory.net/ is a great resource for finding organic cotton products in whichever country you live.

For a list of online sources for Organic Cotton clothing, see:

http://www.eartheasy.com/wear_orgcot_clo.htm

You can learn more about organic cotton at:

USDA - http://www.usda.gov

Sustainable Cotton Project - http://www.sustainablecotton.org/

The Organic Trade Association – http://www.ota.com/index.html

Perfect combination would be,Organic Cotton Apparel&Fair Trade!

But why Fair Trade?Because it also ensures that the clothing is ethically grown and that the cotton growers and garment manufacturers are all paid a good wage, ensuring that they can send their kids to school (no child labour here), save for the future and have enough for the present, and they work in safe, healthy environments!

Learn about ethical Shopping here: http://www.ethical.org.au/get-informed/

My favorite online Ethical Apparel&Acessories brands are:

The People Tree

http://www.peopletree.co.uk/