Weekly Wellness News

March 5, 2007

Feature: Healthy Clothes

Many people tout the advantages of eating organic foods, but how many people do you know who make claims about the impact their clothing has on the environment?

Organic clothing is starting to make a bit splash, and it's little surprise why. Textile production is one of the largest industries on the planet (there are currently about 6.7 billion customers in the world's clothing market). Synthetic clothing is manufactured using a variety of harsh chemicals like formaldehyde and leads to enormous amounts of toxic waste to be disposed of. Grown materials, like cotton, are not subject to the restrictions that food items are with respect to insecticides and other agricultural chemicals, and the runoffs from these crops have tremendous impact.

Organic clothing, like the non-organic forms come in the same two categories: natural and synthetic.

Natural organics include organic cotton, wool, hemp, and a variety of newer sources such as soybean and bamboo. Since these materials are organically produced, their impact on the environment are reduced to primarily the transportation costs, though coloring these materials can produce harmful by-products. How do these compare to their non-organic counterparts? Hemp is strong, durable, and comfortable (the first Levi jeans were made from hemp; denim was a change made later). Organic cotton feels no different than traditional cotton. Bamboo resembles silk in texture. They are basically the same to wear.

Synthetic organics sounds like an oxymoron, but there are a few. Probably the one you are most familiar with is fleece, which is made from recycled plastics from sources such as soda bottles. While the original product is not organic, reusing the material in this manner is better than producing a new product from scratch. And who out there doesn't have a favorite fleece jacket or sweater?

Speaking of recycling, clothing itself can also be recycled: 'pre-loved' clothing is becoming popular. Whether you are into retro fashions or just saving money you have many shopping options.

There is a lot of talk about whether organic clothing is better for your skin than synthetics, but there is not much beyond anecdotal evidence on either side of this. I personally haven't noticed much difference as long as the clothing wicks well.

Do you need to replace your wardrobe to be a good environmental citizen? No. In fact, throwing away good clothing and replacing it has more impact than continuing to use your current clothes until they are ready for replacement anyway. However, when they do finally go, think seriously about going organic. Little changes from each of us can have a great combined effect.

Resources:

• Why Choose Organic Materials in Clothing? [healthnewsdigest.com]
• Organic Fashion [www.organicfoodee.com]
• The 6+ Synthetic Fabrics You Most Want to Avoid, and Why [www.sixwise.com]

Other news

• Follow the leprechauns: Want a Healthy Colon? Eat a Rainbow! [www.healthnewsdigest.com]
• Are even more labels needed? FDA To Scrutinize Cold Medicines For Kids [www.cbsnews.com]
• How much do politicians sleep? Sleeplessness Clouds Moral Choices [healthday.com]

From the editor

I am currently in Australia, and right now the hottest topic here is global warming. I'd like to investigate some of the environmental issues currently in the news, but before I start I ask you to submit your questions. What parts of the current global environmental debate would you like to know more about? What confuses you? Your feedback will shape upcoming issues.

I received a report last week that my feedback link wasn't working. ('How?' you ask; a friend called me and told me). If you've tried sending something in the last few weeks and had problems, please resend it now.

Healthy thoughts,
Jeff

Your feedback is always welcome!

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Copyright 2007, Jeffrey Eliasen.
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