Because it’s botanically related to marijuana, many people believe that hemp is completely illegal to grow in the U.S. This is not the case, though it is not grown as widely as it should be. Industrial hemp is legal to produce, trade and possess in Oregon, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Vermont, though the federal Drug Enforcement Agency has imposed some restrictions. To be absolutely clear, hemp does not have any of marijuana’s psychoactive properties. You can grow it, process it, eat it, and wear it, but you sure can’t smoke it, even if you set it on fire! Meanwhile, Americans spend $360 million every year on imported hemp, and that number is growing. Wouldn’t it make more sense to develop the industrial hemp market here in the U.S.?

WHAT’S SO GOOD ABOUT HEMP?

Hemp grows very well in North America with no artificial fertilizers and pesticides required. The entire plant can be used, from seed to foliage:   as a diet supplement, for biomass fuels,  to make paper, boxes and bags,  even as home insulation.

Hemp is also wonderfully durable. I have a hemp sweater that never seems to wrinkle or lose its shape, and hemp shoes I don’t think will ever wear out. If allowed to flourish, hemp could become the foundation for an amazingly sustainable industry

So…what are the downsides? 

Hemp loses some of its appeal depending on how it’s harvested and processed.

The preferable harvesting process is called “field” or “dew” retting: plant stems are cut or pulled up and essentially left in the field to rot, which will naturally separate the bast fibers from the woody core. This is the process used in countries that have stronger environmental regulations.

The alternative “water retting process” is not so eco-friendly. Instead of letting the plant stems rot naturally, they’re immersed in fresh water, which then needs to be treated and disposed of.

Either way, once the fibers are separated from their woody core, then need to be put through a mechanical finishing process. In China, where water retting is common, chemical methods are sometimes used to make cottonized or flock hemp. These chemicals also strip hemp of its naturally strong characteristics. Like most other fabrics, including bamboo and cotton, hemp is sometimes cleaned and softened with caustic sodas. This is not an eco friendly practice as it releases harmful chemicals into the environment.

Hemp can be produced organically, just as cotton can be produced organically. Unfortunately, the hemp industry lacks precise consumer guidelines and it is difficult to tell whether hemp clothing was produced in the most eco friendly way or if harsh chemicals were used.

ECOLUTION® is a European company that is producing hemp in exactly the right way, as you can see on their website where they posted a visual of their processing steps.

Another company to consider is Sweet Grass Natural Fibers , an one online store that makes all of its clothing in the U.S., uses no plastic packaging in shipping, and invests in renewable wind power.

SHOP OUR STORE

In addition to the retailers listed above, we hope you’ll browse our store. We’ve found t-shirts, dresses, shorts, skirts, and even shoes, made mostly with a combination of hemp and organic cotton. At the least, you’ll get an idea of the variety of fashions you can now buy that are made from hemp.

 RELATED POSTS

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing, Part 1: Read the Label

How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing, Part 2: Try Tencel or Lyocell

Clothing: What’s Eco, and What’s Not

Bamboo: Green, or Green Washed?

Dry Your Clothes for Free

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Lyocell, which is also sold under the trade name TENCEL® or Lenzing Lyocell, offers several advantages over conventional cotton and even rayon, another fiber made from cellulose. The trees Lyocell is made from are grown without pesticides, often in sustainably managed forests on land that’s not suitable for other crops. Though harsh chemicals are needed to soften the wood pulp so it can be converted into fiber, the chemicals are captured in a “closed loop” processing system so they can be reused rather than discharged into local water supplies. (NOTE: The Organic Clothing blog cautions people who are highly chemically sensitive to be alert to possible allergic reactions to TENCEL.)

Lyocell also offers advantages over cotton when it comes to water. According to this excellent analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, unless the cotton is only grown using rain water, Lyocell can end up using far less water to produce than either conventional or organic cotton. Sustainable textiles expert Coral Rose notes, “I strongly believe Lenzing’s products are a key component to any sustainable fiber strategy, when considering all the environmental impacts associated with fiber growing and production.”

New Innovations in TENCEL® are giving way to several variations of the fabric. TENCEL® MICRO is a very smooth silky fiber, while TENCEL® with Multitouch can be used to make heavier fabrics like denim.

Shopping for TENCEL®

TENCEL® products are widely available, some at very reasonable prices. Forever 21, for example, offers a severl TENCEL-based garments like this blazer.

You can also find a huge selection of TENCEL® clothing at Tianello.

To try out a TENCEL® sheet set, check out Downlite  or even your local Bed Bath and Beyond Store.

Use Your Purse!

The U.S. has an extremely high average fiber consumption per capita, approximately 41.8 kg per year compared to the international average of 10.5 kg per year. Clearly, how we choose to spend our money on clothing directly affects the environment. The next time you are faced with a choice between TENCEL® and cotton, choose the most eco-friendly option: TENCEL®.

For More Information…

Don’t miss Part 1 of our series, “How to Shop for Eco-Friendly Clothing”

You can learn more about Tencel if you read this interview with Coral Rose, who has been a featured speaker at events such as The ECO-SHOW, All Things Organic (ATO), and Texworld-New York, to name a few. In this article Coral points out how rare it is to find a company that answers the questions “what is the source of our raw materials? [and] Where were the materials harvested, processed, produced?” Her opinion on the environmental impact of fiber growing and production is that Lenzing Modal and Tencel come out on top.

Modal
Modal, which is also manufactured by Lenzing, is made from beech trees. Modal is highly absorbent and, like Tencel, resists fading.  100% Modal  is most often made into towels or bedding, though it blends very well with cotton and is another great choice for clothing.

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When that time comes, what should you look for? We’ve previously tackled the problems with buying apparel made from bamboo, even if it claims to be “eco friendly.” Organic cotton is among the most reliable options to choose; it’s gotten pretty easy to find socks, t-shirts, maybe even some lingerie made from this “green” fiber. But beyond that, the choices are pretty slim, especially if we still do most of our clothes shopping at the mall.

So if bamboo is out and organic cotton is hard to find, what does that leave? We’ll attempt to answer that question and more with this primer on how to shop for eco-friendly clothes.

Here’s Part #1 – Read the label.

When shopping for “greener” clothes, ignore words like “environmentally friendly,” “nature safe,” and “eco.” Instead, look for third-party certifications  for claims that mean the shirt or shoes or pajamas were predominantly made from sustainable fibers by adults, not kids, in a Fair Trade process that minimizes its environmental impact. The following companies certify companies that meet these criteria.

GOTS – The Global Organic Textile Standard

The raw materials that GOTS certifies must first be approved organic by a trusted company such as The Institute for Marketecology.GOTS will then review every step in the manufacturing process, from the harvesting of raw materials right through to proper product labeling. GOTS pays special attention to the dyeing process, as this can be extremely harmful to the health of workers as well as the environment. GOTS will not certify any manufacturer that uses any heavy metals, formaldehyde, GMO enzymes or carcinogenics.

GOTS is also very strict about environmental discharge during production and chemical residues in the finished product. GOTS will grade a product as an “Organic Textile” if it has at least a 95% organic origin. They will grade a product as “Textile containing organic fibers” if it has at least 70% organic origin. Several companies partner with GOTS and share their standards, including ICEA, based in Italy, ECOCERT, based in France , the Organic Trade Association in the U.S., Soil Association, based in the UK , and the Japan Organic Cotton Association.

Global Enfant sells baby and children s products that are both COTS and SA8000 (see below) certified.
Recycle a Tee also uses GOTS certified materials.

Oeko-Tex® Standard 100

Oeko-Tex is also recognized globally as a reliable and independent 3rd party eco-certification. The company will test and if applicable, certify textile raw materials, as well as intermediate and end products at all stages of production.  Oeko-Tex will allocate a product into one of four classes based on how much contact it has with skin. Products intended for babies, for example, must meet more stringent requirements than those woven into a woman’s blouse.

Eden Home and Green Earth Bamboo  both offer Oeko-Tex-certified clothing for the whole family.

SA8000
If a company states that it is SA8000-certified, it means it has passed a globally recognized social accountability standard for fair and humane working conditions. Specifically, products must meet the following criteria to be considered for SA8000 certification: No Child Labor, No Forced Labor, Proper Health and Safety, Workers’ Freedom of Association and Right to Collective Bargaining, No Discrimination, Reasonable Working Hours, and Fair Wages.

Fair Trade Certified You may already be purchasing Fair Trade coffee or chocolate. This certifying group now also certifying apparel and linens. If you are buying apparel that has been Fair Trade Certified, you can feel good about your purchase knowing that you are helping fight poverty and develop sustainability for some of the world’s most indigent cotton farmers and factory workers.

In the US, HAE NOW and Tompkins Point Apparel are among a handful of companies that have been Fair Trade Certified.

Read more about sustainable and eco-friendly clothing here. And check back soon for Parts 2 and 3 of our eco-friendly clothing series.

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The Green Moms Carnival tackles the clothing conundrum this month. Most of us bemoan how difficult it is to figure out how to buy environmentally-friendly fashions in the first place.

Mary of In Women We Trust regrets how few organic fabrics are designed for the boardroom instead of the beach, and points out the valuable role that the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) play in ensuring that textiles are produced organically.

Amber at Strocel.com compares polyester and acrylic, two synthetics made from fossil fuels, and comes down on the side of buying less clothing over all, and natural fibers over synthetics. “Reducing consumption pretty much always comes out ahead,” she notes.

Anna at Green Talk provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of recycled plastic bottles in clothing, as well as other textiles. A big concern is that textiles made from recycled plastic emit the chemical antimony, which has been linked to a wide variety of health problems in laboratory animals. Anna also reports that demand for plastic bottles that can be recycled into textiles has risen so much that some manufacturers are using brand new plastic bottles, rather than recycled ones. Talk about the law of unintended consequences!

Linda at Citizen Green points out several benefits to using recycled plastic, like the fact that “30% less energy is needed to down cycle the bottles into shirts than is needed to make them out of virgin plastic.” So what’s the worry? Plastic is still plastic, and will take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Sarah of Practically Green provides a great set of tips if you’re shopping vintage. “Don’t keep it if you will NEVER be that size again,” she suggests — good advice whether you’re buying old or new. You’ll also love her pictures of the vintage clothes she’s snagged over the years, from a snazzy leopard clutch she lined with red leather (see photo, right) to her dad’s v-necked, cashmere sweater.

Keep reading. There’s more!

Lynn of OrganicMania goes for classics that never lose their style. While they might not be made from “eco friendly fibers,” these designs last forever – a real value in these days of fast, disposable fashion. Read Lynn’s post to get the inside scoop on her favorite retailer – a savvy store whose consistent color schemes and excellent craftsmanship make it possible to extend the life of any of the businesswear she buys there.

Micaela of Mindful Momma warns against actually buying clothes labeled as “smart” – since they may be loaded with “specialty fibers infused with all sorts of chemicals and technology” that may cause more problems than they fix. Micaela worries that “these products and technologies have not been thoroughly tested for safety on humans. Nor do we know the impact on the environment. Will the great new technology of today be the BPA of tomorrow?”

Jenn at the Green Parent suggests eco-friendly alternatives to clothes treated with fire retardants (aka, nasty chemicals that have been linked to a host of developmental health problems). High on Jenn’s list is organic merino wool, which is soft and naturally resistant to fire.

At Crunchy Chicken, Deanna raises a red flag about dangerous lingerie. While acknowledging that these garments “aren’t exactly meant to be worn for long,” Deanna notes nevertheless that the bustiers, bras, and corsets sold as “adult wear” are not made from fabrics you should be putting near your genitalia, “due to residual formaldehyde, flame retardants, and polyurethane.” A better alternative to these sexy but not-so-safe play clothes? A non-toxic or edible body paint. Chocolate, anyone?

At Big Green Purse, I tackle the question of bamboo. Is it green…or greenwashed? I compare bamboo to conventionally manufactured cotton (an exercise that would be so much easier if sustainable standards were in place) and find, that on several measures bamboo comes out ahead. However, organic cotton would still be my fabric of choice, and my post explains why.

Karen at Best of Mother Earth thinks the solution may be to sew clothes herself…if she knew how. That way, she’s sure the clothes she wearts will fit her criteria: “I have to feel and look good in it…it can’t cost a fortune…I won’t dry clean it…and does it even fit me?”

Maybe she can take a sewing lesson from Lisa at Condo Blues. Lisa learned how to sew without wasting fabric from her mom, and she’s heartened at the efforts the fashion industry is making to reduce its trash, too. Take a look at the knock-out Renaissance-era gown Lisa recently sewed, and you’ll be begging her to make some garb for you.

What about how much clothes cost? Lisa at Retro Housewife Goes Green reveals the costs hidden in the manufacture of clothes, noting that many designs today are manufactured in sweat shops that only pay a fraction of the decent wages laborers deserve. Lisa suggests buying designs certified as Fair Trade to ensure that workers receive a fair payment for their work.

Tracy at Inspire Planning addresses the cost issue as well – as in how much money you can save by buying “green.” To her that means, shopping for gently worn clothes that are fashionable, swapping clothes with friends and neighbors, and shopping online at reasonably-priced eco-designers. Another savvy tip? Peruse your favorite design magazines and websites to get a sense of current fashion trends, then dress up clothes you already have in your closet with accessories like scarves and hats.

Most of these posts link to additional resources on topics like eco-friendly shoes, handbags made from recycled materials, and more. Hope you’ll browse the “racks,” figuratively speaking of course.

The post Clothing: What’s Eco, and What’s Not appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Bamboo has been touted for the last several years as being one of the most environmentally-responsible fabrics on the market. A hardy grass, it grows like a proverbial weed, sometimes sprouting 4 feet in a single day – and that’s without the assistance of pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers let alone irrigation. Bamboo sounds like the kind of “green” fabric you’d love to love – were it not for the process needed to transform it from a plant into something like a pair of socks.

In August 2009, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission issued “Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo Fabrics?” a report that questioned the fiber’s green bonafides. While not challenging how the grass is grown, the FTC warned that transforming the plant’s tenacious stalks into soft fabrics requires the use of toxic chemicals that pollute the air and water,” reducing the cloth’s natural appeal. Many consumers have been wondering ever since if bamboo is green – or being greenwashed.

What concerns the FTC is the manufacturing process. Because bamboo is so hardy, it is also hard to refine into fiber – unless a manufacturer uses toxic chemicals like sodium hydroxide, which can cause chemical burns or blindness, to break down bamboo’s cells into something pliable called viscose.

Some manufacturers claim that sodium hydroxide poses no health hazard if used and disposed of properly.  I’m more reassured by companies that use fabric from bamboo  which has not only been certified as organically grown, but where the chemicals used in processing bamboo into viscose are captured in a “closed loop” system that is supposed to prevent them from being released into the environment. The resulting viscose is Oeko Tex 100 certified, which means that no harmful substances lurk in the finished textile, where they might rub off on your skin. Conventionally produced and polluting “bamboo” might be labelled simply bamboo, or rayon from bamboo.  You can get a more comprehensive explanation on the entire process, and the controvery surrounding the selling of bamboo, here.

So…Cotton, or Bamboo?

Organic cotton is superior to bamboo. But If you’re choosing between conventionally grown cotton and bamboo, given what I can figure out about the growing and processing of both, I would choose bamboo. (Most cotton in use today is not organic.)

Pesticides:

Cotton is more vulnerable to bugs and disease than almost any other crop grown, so much so that it demands 22.5% of the world’s pesticide use .  Unless cotton has been certified organic, in all likelihood, it has probably been sprayed intensely with pesticides. Be alert: “Natural” cotton means nothing. If you prefer cotton, it should be certified organic.

Bamboo requires little if any pesticide to grow.  

Harvesting:

Cotton is considered a renewable resource – it takes about 3 months to grow, but needs to be replanted and harvested every year, which would make it very energy-intensive to grow.

Bamboo is considered a rapidly renewable resource. Once planted, it can take between three and seven years to reach maturity, depending on the species. But thereafter, the plant continues to grow, as only the top stalks are harvested, not the roots (if you’ve ever tried to eradicate bamboo from your yard, you’ll know the story – it grows and grows and grows…).

Climate Change Impact:

 I haven’t been able to find any information that compares the energy costs of producing cotton fabric to bamboo fabric. However, BambooNow.com says bamboo “is one of the most effective scrubbers of carbon dioxide in the world. It grows four times faster than wood, produces far more biomass, and sequesters 35% more C02.”

Processing:

 The general steps in processing both cotton and bamboo are very similar. They include: spinning  (transform the processed plant threads into yarn), weaving (yarn into fabric),  dyeing , and some kind of finish (for example, a chemical finish may be applied to make the fabric “wrinkle resistant”). Finally the fabric is cut and sewn into the desired product. Both fabrics have a global life cycle, with most bamboo being grown and processed in China, most cotton being grown in China and other countries in Asia, and manufacturing taking place in still other countries. Dyeing either cotton or bamboo can have equally harmful or harmless consequences, depending on the kinds of dyes used.

Water:

By  the end of production, it will have taken about 700 gallons of water to make a cotton t-shirt; a t-shirt made from bamboo would use about 35 gallons.  Cotton is one of agriculture’s thirstiest cultivated plants, requiring 101 gallons of water to create a pound of finished cotton. 

Laundry:

Manufacturers claim that bamboo has natural anti-bacterial properties which help repel body odor, meaning you should be able to wash it less frequently than other materials.  Manufacturers also claim that bamboo dries faster than cotton, possibly reducing dryer use (which is not recommended anyway, as bamboo will retain its shape better if line dried). The FTC has dismissed the anti-bacterial claims; if you are line-drying both cotton and bamboo, it shouldn’t matter too much which one dries quickest. One benefit I can personally attest to since I use bamboo towels, is that bamboo seems to be more absorbent than cotton, thus reducing the number of towels needed after a shower or bath.

What about the greenwashing?

One way manufacturers greenwash their products is by touting bamboo on the label – even if only 5% of the product contains bamboo fiber. Consumers might see the word and believe that the entire piece of clothing is bamboo, when only a fraction of it comes from bamboo. Don’t pay a premium for what you think is 100% bamboo if the fiber has only been added to spruce up a company’s marketing campaign.

As for cotton, don’t be seduced by the words “natural” cotton. In all likelihood, cotton grown “naturally” has been showered with pesticides and herbicides in the course of its lifetime. If you’re buying cotton new, choose organic.

In a future post, we’ll report on hemp and recycled polyester. We’ll also tackle TENCEL Lyocel, which processes wood into fiber using the closed-loop method to capture the polluting chemicals.

Meanwhile, you can read about more eco-friendly options at this month’s Green Moms Carnival.

Thanks to research assistant Tracy Gaudet for help with this article.

 (photo courtesy of AnnieO76 on Flickr)  

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With the changing of the seasons comes the changing of the clothes, the cleaning out of closets, and the charging of the credit cards. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2004-2005 Consumer Expenditure Survey, women spend an average of $1,069 on clothing for themselves every year. Add another $823 to that if you shop for your husband, and several hundreds more for every kid you’re outfitting. With anywhere from $3,000 a year or more in purse power, choosing clothing that makes a difference could go a long way toward greening apparel manufacturers and the clothing industry. We can also put the three R’s to work-reduce, reuse, recycle-to improve our wardrobe’s eco-impact.

Reduce-Buy Fewer, But Higher-Quality, Clothes

Slow down. Buy fewer clothes that will last longer. The way the fashion industry works, what goes around comes back around. Beat the industry at its own game by building on your wardrobe, not trashing it.

Invest in good clothes. Buy brands that will last, even if you don’t plan to wear them every single season. You’ll save time and money-as well as resources-by not having to replace as many items every year.

Create a budget. Know how much money you can or want to spend, and track your expenditures the way you do other household items. You’ll limit the impulse buying that leads to over-consumption by becoming a master of the phrase, “It’s not in my budget.”

Reuse-Buy Gently Worn Clothes, Vintage Garments…or Swap

Buying used clothing offers another green alternative to new duds-and may ultimately conserve the most resources. Where to go?

Your neighborhood. An estimated twenty thousand resale shops offer fashion values and let you sell the clothes you never want to wear again for money you can take away or spend on other items in their stores.

Minneapolis-based Plato’s Closet offers the latest styles in name brands and discount prices. The company has opened some two hundred franchises since 1999 and planned to open thirty-five additional stores in 2007.

Crossroads Trading Co. is where shoppers can buy top-quality recycled and new fashions as well as   receive cash or trade credit for items they sell to the store.

Buffalo Exchange has thirty national stores whose offerings feature designer wear, vintage, jeans, leather, great basics, and one-of-a-kind items.

You can also swap clothes with friends and family members who are as tired of their outfits as you are of yours. Host a swap party. Set as the price of admission three or four articles of clean clothing and organize the rest however you wish!

Recycle Your Clothes

Clothes and shoes take up more space than any other nondurable goods in the solid waste stream, because, says the EPA, only 16 percent of discarded clothes and shoes are recycled. Despite the best efforts of charities and thrift stores, millions of tons of clothing are wasted every year.

However, dozens of charities like Purple Heart, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill will gladly take your clothes and get them to people in need. Here are some other options:

Dress for Success. This international not-for-profit organization promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire along with job counseling. Since 1997, Dress for Success has served almost 300,000 women around the world. You can donate suits, blouses, pants, shoes, jewelry, briefcases, black tote bags, and other appropriate business apparel.

Soles 4 Souls. Providing free footwear to people in need around the world, this nonprofit organization started after the Asian tsunami in December 2004, continued in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and today distributes shoes worldwide. It also partners with Dress for Success to provide career footwear.

One World Running. This Colorado-based nonprofit organization ships donated running shoes, soccer gear, and baseball equipment to athletes in Central American, Haiti, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe. The program grinds up and recycles discarded shoe material to build playground mats, basketball courts, and running tracks. Visit the website to find a drop-off spot near you.

Project Rejeaneration. Del Forte Denim lets you recycle your jeans. When you no longer want them, send them back (in the bag they came in) and they’ll be recast as a new piece of clothing. As a reward for recycling, you get 10 percent off your next Del Forte purchase (or you can donate your 10 percent to the company’s Sustainable Cotton Project).

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