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Earth-Friendly Clothing: Organic and Natural Fibers
By Ava De Luca on August 05, 2009 |
Total Viewed: 242 |
| Post by : Jihoy Admin |
| Category: Fashion |
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A lot of times people will think that there isnt much of a difference between natural and organic fabrics. Here are a couple things Ive listed to show the main differences between the two.
Natural fibers- The most common natural fiber would have to be cotton, but the list goes on. You also have ramie, linen, wool, silk, and hemp that are all considered natural fibers too. The use of natural fibers for clothing goes back thousands of years. These natural fibers are usually split into three different groups.
1. Vegetable fibers are those that come from plants. For example, hemp and cotton.
2. Protein fibers come from the wool and hair of animals. Among these are wool, alpaca, and cashmere.
3. Silk is made from strong elastic fibrous secretions of silkworm larvae in cocoons.
Organic takes natural everything to a whole new level of health, wellness, and environmental safety. Organic fibers are natural fibers that are raised, or grown without using any pesticides and/or pesticides. Fiber can be completely natural without being organic. Because the information Ive found at GreenBuildingAdvisor.com from Annete Stelmack has such good information on the subject Ive posted it in.
Because its so important to know what you are buying, here are some good things that Ive been able to research and find out about when it comes to sustainable natural fibers for rugs and fabrics.
Organic cotton is grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or chemical fertilizers. It is grown and harvested using sustainable agricultural methods, which reduces/eliminates pests, enhances growth, maintains soil quality, and protects cotton harvesters. When grown organically, damage to the soil, environment, or human health is significantly less; plus, the fiber is stronger because of no chemical processing.
There have been noted drawbacks to going to organic cotton. The processed used required a lot of water. You might want to look for cotton that has been grown where there is naturally a lot of rainfall. Sally Fox has created a great system for growing natural colors of cotton, like brown, green and natural. These are colored organic cotton and are amazing because of how they are fade resistant. It is also minimally processed, recyclable, and biodegradable.
Organic wool is a amazingly strong and attractive fiber that can last a very long time. It doesnt come without some debate through. A lot of water is sued during the processes of scouring the wool, this makes a lot of water waste. Also, some say that high levels of carbon dioxide are emitted from sheep, and that this is horrible for the environment.
You do want to look for a couple of specific things too when you are out buying. Make sure that the wool you buy is unbleached or, there are also great options now to have things bleached with great ozone-based products. Also check the dying process and make sure that it is dyed with an environment friendly way. This wool is amazing because of how it is stain resistant, recyclable, biodegradable, and even fire retardant. |
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About the Author:
Visit our (http://www.myfashioncornerblog.com/) MyFashionCornerBlog.com to read more about eco-friendly clothing. We take pride in offering high quality apparel and accessories for men, women and children. See our selection of (http://www.myfashioncorner.com/) earth-friendly clothes and shoes at MyFashionCorner.com. |
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