Organic and Eco-Friendly Products

Sustainable Living

Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s use of the Earth’s natural resources. The idea is to live in a manner that is sustainable long-term in relation to the planet’s cycles and resources. Sustainability is a concept concerned with meeting present ecological, societal and economical needs without compromising these factors for future generations.

Sustainable living has been described for this century as ’shifting to a renewable energy-based, reuse/recycle economy with a diversified transport system’. Two factors related to achieving sustainable living include sustainable design and sustainable development. Sustainable design refers to the development of appropriate technology for creating sustainable living practices. Appropriate technologies could include the development of carbon sequestration, wind power, solar power, non-fossil fuel cars and so on. Sustainable development is the use of these green technologies in infrastructure.

One way to increase the sustainability of one’s lifestyle is to use eco-friendly, non-toxic and organic products and clothing.

Eco-Friendly Products

Ettitude produces a range of eco-friendly, affordable and unique products ranging from baby and children’s organic clothing to luxury towels. Their collection of baby clothing redesigns the basics in 100% organic cotton to be modern, practical, stylish, low-maintenance, durable and often multi-functional: from T-shirts to rompers, pants, sleepsuits, beanies and blankets.

Ettitude also offers a range of bamboo fibre bed and bath products that are highly absorbent, anti-static, hypo allergenic, incredibly soft and silky, and 100% biodegradable. These include hand towels, face towels, kitchen towels, bath towels, quilt cover sets and sheet sets.

Then there is their range of eco laundry products that are tough on dirt but gentle on your clothes and the planet. They remove stains, thoroughly wash and soften clothes, but contain no chemicals. Their laundry balls not only last for 1000 washes (approximately 3 years if you wash every day), but are refillable so you don’t need to throw them away. Their laundry balls, dryer balls and stain sticks are toxin free so the washing water can be used as grey water.

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.

Organic Baby Clothes

What are organic baby clothes? Organic baby clothing is clothing produced with eco-friendly production methods and organic textiles. By using organic textiles that are grown without chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides, then manufactured without chemical treatments such as bleaches and dyes, the baby clothing that is produced is toxin free. Toxin-free baby clothing is better for your baby, whose skin is thinner and more porous than adults’ and more vulnerable to harmful substances. Babies produce less melanin that protects the skin from external irritants, and are also less resistant to bacteria. So it is important to prevent ingestion of harmful toxins through the skin that are present in conventionally produced baby clothing. By reducing the chemicals used in the production of textiles, there is also less pollution of the air and water. Examples of organic textiles include organic cotton, bamboo fibre, and yak down.

By growing organic textiles with eco-friendly methods, the environment is also conserved. From supporting local industry, to using resources such as water more efficiently, and not introducing toxic pesticides into the environment, organic methods are better for the planet.

Why buy organic baby clothes?

Why buy organic baby clothes? Organic baby clothing has many benefits for the baby, for the parent and for the environment that conventionally produced clothing does not. As mentioned above, it is beneficial for the baby because organic clothing is toxin-free and made without additives, genetic modification, growth hormones, or irradiation.

It is also advantageous for the parents as the clothing is durable, meaning that money is saved on replacing clothing, as well as being machine-washable. And of course, organic baby clothing is eco-friendly. Not only toxin-free, organic clothing is judged on its ecological footprint, including factors such as its biodegradability, amount of pollution produced in its cultivation and the amount of resources consumed in its production.