Organic food has come a long way in recent years. The reasons are not too difficult to understand: people have become more aware of health issues and like their food to be as free of pesticides, fertilizers and additives as possible.
But organic clothing? and bedding? Why would you bother spending more on things you don’t even eat?
Here are some reasons:
1. You avoid contact with synthetic chemical surface treatments. A switch to an organic mattress and organic bedding will instantly reduce your exposure by about a third, or whatever proportion of the day you spend in bed. One of the most common fire retardants used in mattresses, boric acid, is also used to kill rats!
2. You support organic farming. By choosing organic clothing, you divert your disposable income to support organic farming, which will encourage more farmers to employ environmentally friendly farming methods.
3. You support safe and ethical work practices. Farmers who work on organic farms are exposed to fewer chemicals. Each year, approximately 60 million pounds of organophosphate pesticides are applied to U.S. agricultural crops, and an additional 17 million pounds per year are used for non-agricultural uses, such as household pest control products and sprays for lawn and garden.
4. You support the use of naturally colored and naturally dyed fabrics. Dyeing fabrics and yarns consumes a lot of energy and produces large amounts of toxic waste. Natural dyes completely eliminate this processing step, while natural dyes are generally much less polluting than synthetic dyes.
5. You support fair and ethical business practices. There is a strong and growing link between organic and ethical practices among growers, manufacturers and retailers. The Soil Association’s organic textile standards now contain the most comprehensive requirements for safe work practices and fair trade.
6. You reduce the allergens present in the environment. By choosing chemical-free organic fabrics, you help reduce the background level of potentially allergenic chemical compounds. A recent study by the US National Academy of Sciences suggests that one in four developmental and behavioral problems in children may be related to genetic and environmental factors, including exposure to lead, mercury, and organophosphate pesticides.
7. You save on toxic waste. Organic tissues can be composted safely, without contributing to toxins in the soil.
8. You support biodiversity. Organic agriculture helps biodiversity at all levels of the food chain, by using fewer pesticides and fertilizers and by adopting wildlife-friendly habitat management techniques.
9. You save energy. Conventional agriculture is a great consumer of non-renewable fossil fuels. Organic farms tend to use less energy and instead focus on careful ecological management and natural balances to solve pest problems.
10. You can be part of the solution instead of part of the problem. What you wear says something about you, even if it doesn’t have a slogan on it!
