Organic and Eco-Friendly Products

Textile Production

Cotton is one of the world’s largest textile industries. Textile manufacturing involves the conversion of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles which are then made into clothing or other products. There are five stages in the manufacturing of cotton: cultivating and harvesting, preparatory processes, spinning, weaving, and finishing. Cotton requires intensive farming, so involves large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides, and up to a quarter of the world’s insecticide use. It also has a very high water and energy consumption as a result of going through processes such as bleaching, washing, rinsing, dyeing, printing and finishing.

Eco-friendly textiles, such as organic cotton, wool, yak down, bamboo fibre, hemp, flax, silk and jute, are different to conventionally processed textiles because they are:

a) Renewable resources

b) Grown without pesticides, antibacterials, synthetic fertilisers, fungicides, or genetic modification

c) Cultivated on chemical-free land

d) Processed without being dyed, bleached or treated with other toxic chemicals

e) Biodegradable.

Apart from being eco-friendly, organic textiles are also child and baby friendly. Children are more sensitive and vulnerable to toxins whether ingested as a result of pesticide drift or contaminated water, or absorbed through their skin. Children having thinner and more porous skin, and less melanin to protect it from external irritants. So it is important to expose your child to as little harmful substances as possible, so their development is not affected.

Ettitude

Ettitude provides original, stylish and practical baby and kids’ clothing. All their clothing is organic and eco-friendly, sourced from socially responsible manufacturers and craftspeople. Affordably priced, low allergenic and of premium quality, all their products can be delivered straight to your door.

They also offer eco-friendly bed, bath and kitchen products including bamboo bath towels, dish towels, sheets and quilt sets. A range of eco laundry products are also available, including laundry and dryer balls. Gentle on clothes and free from harsh chemicals, these refillable products save you money and are great for the planet.

What does ‘Eco-friendly’ mean?

‘Eco-friendly’ can be defined as both not harming the environment or proactively preventing environmental damage. There is no international standard for the use of ‘eco-friendly’ as a label, and is really too vague a lot of the time to be really useful. However it does encompass a philosophy, that in combination with organic certification, that helps consumers choose their products more wisely.

Basically the eco-friendliness of a product will depend on the renewability of the resources used, its ecological footprint, its biodegradability and the amount of synthetic chemicals used throughout the product life cycle. These chemicals include fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, food additives, hormones, fungicides, and so on. Eco-friendly products are also free from genetically modified organisms.

Eco-friendly Children’s Clothing

What qualifies as eco-friendly children’s clothing? Organic textiles and clothing must be certified by an independent certifier to ensure the integrity of the product, who also sets the standards for the industry.  The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) sets basic standards upon which individual countries can base their standards. These standards apply to the growth, storage, processing, packaging and shipping aspects of the product.

Some of these standards include the avoidance of synthetic chemical inputs, use of farmland that has been chemical-free for a number of years, keeping a detailed written production and sales record, maintaining strict physical separation of organic products from non-certified products and undergoing periodic on-site inspections. In many countries the commercial use of the term ‘organic’ is legally restricted to those who conform to national standards. They are also subject to the agricultural and food safety regulations that apply to non-certified producers.

Examples of eco-friendly children’s clothing would include articles made from organic textiles such as bamboo fibre, yak down, hemp, jute, organic cotton, soy and milk silk.

Organic Textiles

Toxin-free. Eco-friendly. Biodegradable. Efficient. Renewable. Why wouldn’t you prefer to use organic textiles for your children’s clothing needs? Good for the environment and good for your kids, organic clothing really doesn’t have a downside.

Organic textiles include materials such as organic cotton, bamboo fibre, yak down, silk, corn fibre, soy silk, jute, kenaf, hemp and wool. They are all cultivated without pesticides or herbicides, and turned into clothing without toxic bleaches and dyes. Organic clothing is produced to be eco-friendly, with a reduced ecological footprint- biodegradable, sourced from renewable resources, using resources (e.g. land, water) efficiently. Conventional cultivation and production of textiles have contributed to the disappearance of the planet’s rainforests

Bamboo is one of the best organic textiles as the plant is fast-growing therefore renewable, requires no additional irrigation or replanting (which saves water), produces 35% more oxygen than equivalent stands of trees, takes in 5 times the amount of greenhouse gases, improves soil quality and prevents erosion. Furthermore, it is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, meaning that it doesn’t require pesticides or herbicides. It is biodegradable, meaning it will contribute to landfill waste, and if processed organically it will not introduce toxins into the land or water, or expose workers and animals to them either.

Organic Kids Clothing

So it is clear that organic textiles are great for the environment. But what about the benefits to your children? Organic materials come with many special characteristics not found in conventionally grown and manufactured textiles. For example, yak down is incredibly soft, silky and breathable. Bamboo fibre is naturally anti-bacterial so it reduces odors, as well as being incredibly absorbent.

Organic kids clothing also lasts longer because the fibres are not weakened and broken down through chemical processing. Of course, being toxin-free the clothing will reduce the amount of chemicals ingested. As kids are more vulnerable to harmful substances and developing rapidly, it is important to prevent unnecessary exposure to chemicals.