Green Fabrics
Posted - November 1, 2008
Textiles: Finding different ways to go green
By Gloria Neumann – as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2008
Green, natural, organic, eco-friendly and sustainable have been the buzz words across all sectors and industries over the past years. Textiles is no exception. About 85% of retail sales of organic fiber products are for apparel according to the Organic Trade Association and Organic Exchange. But sales in organic and eco-friendly home textiles have seen double digit growth, a 40% between 2007 and 2010 in the U.S. alone, reports market research publisher, SBI in “The U.S. Market for Organic and Eco-Friendly Home Textiles” .
There is a lot out there that people are saying is “green”, but it is still confusing to determine what is green and what is not, especially in home furnishings where high performance textiles prevail. For instance, Advansa, the largest European producer of polyester has launched this Summer a new range of ‘Biophyl’ branded fibres and yarns made with DuPont’s Bio-PDO polymer derived from corn sucrose. The Bio-PDO is a renewable resource replacing the petrol based glycol, reducing dependability on petro-chemicals, the common raw material for Polyester.
Could this new product be considered green? Yes, says Advansa, using yarns made with these polymers contributes to saving energy and reducing greenhouse gases. “Compared to fossil fuel-based nylon, producing this polymer consumes 30-40 % less energy and results in 50-60% less greenhouse gas emissions”.
And with increasing demand for eco-friendly fabrics and furnishings, Crypton Inc., world leading producer of water, stain and bacteria resistant performance fabrics, introduced InCase. It is a certified green fabric protectant designed for hospitality, healthcare, contract and residential interiors.
Again, would this be considered a green product? Using what the company calls its Evergreen Technology, Cripton claims to be eco-friendly because it reduces the levels of fluorine in the formulas used to develop this new line. Crypton states that InCase is the first fabric protection with no detectable perfluorooctanic acid, a common byproduct found in stain resistant fabrics.
Some expect green textile products to come only from natural fibers such as organic cotton, wool, silk and hemp with environmentally approved dyes. Others have looked for the sustainability of new fabrics and to develop new materials at the laboratory, some of them recycled or reconstructed from existing materials as a way to reduce landfills space.
The textile industry pollutes heavily. And in spite of the growing green and sustainable movements, synthetic textiles is the fastest growing fibre category. Synthetic fabrics derived from petrochemicals offer high performance for some applications that are difficult to replicate with natural fibers. It will take time. The solution: new eco-friendly technologies and working methods.
Organic farming and food processing and the natural cosmetics industry have been established developing and applying eco-friendly working methods. The textile industry is starting to as well. Manufacturers like Advansa and Cripton are looking at the way they run and the carbon footprint they make. Initiatives such as Oeko-Tex Standard, EU Ecolabel, MBDC and SCS are offering textile companies programs towards more sustainable production .
Meanwhile, the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has developed standards to certify organic textile operations from harvesting raw materials to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing and labelling products, such as fiber, yarns, fabrics and clothing. The logo for GOTS was unveiled at the 16th Organic World Conference sponsored by IFOAM in Modena, Italy in June 2008.
The textile industry needs to turn three hundred sixty degrees. Some are finding ways to reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals. At last, even high-performane textiles are going green.
C&A Goes Organic
Posted - May 1, 2008
Organic Cotton Catches On
By Gloria Neumann - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
One of Europe’s largest clothing retailers has made an organics splash with a project that should purchase about 15% of the world’s organic cotton harvest this year- and retail the resulting clothes for the same price as the firm’s conventional equivalents.
C&A launched an organic cotton clothing range in more than 200 stores in Fall 2007, a project that consumed 1,200 metric tonnes of certified organic cotton last year. The line in 2008 should consume 7,500 metric tonnes, said spokesperson Thorsten Rolfes.
“We see organic farming as offering a great opportunity to improve the environment and related impacts on the climate,” Rolfes said. The project is “offering farmers in developing countries the chance to become more self-reliant and to expand their farming skills,” thus “playing a part in helping to reduce poverty in rural farming communities in developing countries.”
Offering the organic products for the same retail price as C&A’s conventional line does mean a smaller profit margin for the firm, Rolfes said. However, C&A expects this will speed up the availability of organic cotton products, he added, making the compromise worthwhile.
Organic Exchange has been C&A’s partner in its organic cotton project since 2004. The US-based charity works to unite brands like C&A with stakeholders all along the organic cotton supply chain - right back to the farmers in India who produce C&A’s organic crops.
About 5% of cotton clothing sold at C&A this year should be 100% organic cotton, said Rolfes. Some C&A stores feature a window promotion of the eco-products. Inside, the stores have a dedicated space that displays only the organic tops, bottoms, dresses, underwear and baby clothes, he said. Each organic product has a distinct tag indicating its status.
The initiative is just one part of the company’s “We C&Are” environmental strategy, released in 2007. That strategy also includes using renewable energy to power stores and distribution facilities, which, a company release states, should reduce the firm’s carbon dioxide emissions by about 70,000 tons this year.
C&A was founded in 1841 by Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer. It now has about 1,200 stores in 16 countries and employs 34,000 people.
ATO Preview
Posted - May 1, 2008
All Things Organic Gather in Chicago
O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Summer 2008
Once again All Things Organic will be put on display in Chicago April 27-29 at the McCormick Convention Center. Held in conjunction this year with the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) Fancy Food Show and NASDA’s US Food Export Showcase, the three events combine under the Global Food & Style Expo, totalling more than 56,000 products and 1,000 exhibitors. This year’s ATO includes special looks at fashion, fancy cooking and the basics of getting started in organics.
It’s a growing business. US sales of organic food and beverages reached $20 billion in 2007, according to the Organic Trade Association and should top $23 billion this year. In 2006, the US organic sector grew 20.9 percent. Organic non-food items such as personal care, textiles and pet products are growing, too: 26 percent in 2006.
Fashion-forward types at ATO can enjoy a student-designed organic clothing fashion show to be held April 28. Materials were donated by Harmony Art, Green Textile Associates, Fiberactive Organics, Near Sea Naturals and Wool Works.
The fair will feature a Fiber & Personal Care Showcase and a guided tour of nearby organic textiles stores. Another store tour will bring visitors to Chicago’s finest organic retailers - including the first USDA-certified organic bakery.
For those just getting their feet wet, there will be 5 “Organic 101″ sessions alongside 18 other conference topics. Organic 101 topics to be covered are: an overview of the North American organics market; sourcing organic ingredients; organic definitions for foodservice industries; trends in non-food organic products; and the details of certifying an entire retail store as organic.
Fair attendees will be able to sample food from several well-known chefs with demonstrations throughout the show. Food Network chef Bobby Flay is scheduled to give the fair’s keynote opening presentation. See you in Chicago!
Textiles Growth
Posted - September 1, 2007
Organic Textiles More Popular
By Gloria Neumann - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2007
Organics: it’s not just for food and cosmetics anymore. Organics has reached the textile sector, prompting consumers to ask questions about where their textile products come from and to investigate the social and ethical values behind these products. Since 1989, the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard integrated by International Association Natural Textile Industry (Germany), Soil Association (England), Organic Trade Association (USA) and Japan Organic Cotton Association (Japan) have been working towards a harmonized world-wide recognized organic textile standard. 2005 saw the approval of the first Version of the Global Organic Textile Standard and its implementation scheme. These considerations are not just in the planning stages either-consider the evidence in these developments around the world:
- African organic cotton projects, bioRe India and bioRe Tanzania, are rapidly expanding their activities, especially in India, where the number of bioRe farmers has skyrocketed by 2,700 farmers since last year
- Hennes & Mauritz (H&M), Europe’s second largest clothing retailer by sales, has said it will continue to increase its use of organic cotton in certain clothing ranges and revealed it has already exceeded its original target of 100 tons of organic cotton for 2007
- Japan’s speedy bullet trains are now lighter, more fuel efficient and have a higher proportion of recyclable components due to a new polyester-based textile fabric from Teijin Fibers Limited
- Good news also lies in the fact that the world is cracking down on poor quality: Officials in New Zealand launched an investigation after children’s garments imported from China were found to contain very high levels of formaldehyde (900 times higher than the recommended safety limit). This news comes on the heels of the more widely reported recall by Mattel of 18.2 million toys made in China due to hazards such as the use of lead paint.
There is still a long way to go in the textile sector and related industries, but if sales for apparel made from organcic cotton have grown from 85 million $US in 2003 to 500 million in 2006 in the United States, there is hope that more companies will join more sustainable ways of textile production. The global market for organic cotton apparel has reached 1.2 billion (www.Organic Exchange.com)
Sekem
Posted - February 1, 2005
Sekem Proves Organic Textiles Bring Prosperity:
First Vertically-Integrated Conglomerate to Introduce Biodynamic Farming in Egypt
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
Egypt, the world’s premiere exporter of long to extra-long staple cotton, had developed a pesticide problem. By the late 1980s, it was clear that the pesticides widely used on Egyptian cotton crops had dramatically affected the soil and the environment in the country.
In 20 years, the total amount of pesticides in cotton cultivation in Egypt rose to 1,800 tons for 980,000 acres; 350,000 tons of chemical pesticides were sprayed every year. These chemicals are known to be toxic to humans and wildlife.
In 1990, the Egyptian government asked SEKEM to find a solution that would enable healthy cotton production, but which would cause less damage to the environment. The SEKEM initiative is an enterprise founded by Dr. Ibrahim Abouleisch with a remarkable infrastructure and production facilities. In cooperation with scientists, farmers, consultants and consumers, SEKEM developed a solution to the cotton crop problem: It presented biodynamic procedures of organic cotton cultivation.
It was a success. By 1995, pesticide use in Egyptian cotton had fallen 90% and the average yield of raw cotton under biodynamic cultivation increased nearly 30% to 1,220 kg per acre over the conventionally cultivated fields in the surrounding area.
More methods to control insects without pesticides have been implemented. Today in Egypt around 150 farms on 2,000 hectares grow organic cotton biodynamically. SEKEM produces more than 300 tons of cotton fibre and employs 500 people, with 200 at Conytex, its textile processing plant.
Cotton is not the only crop for which SEKEM developed biodynamic growing methods. In an area of 70 hectares of desert, SEKEM first developed a variety of medicinal herbs in 1977. Gradually cereals and vegetables were added, exporting 40%.
The success of the SEKEM initiative has been recognized with several international awards. Its production, health and educational facilities provide 4,000 jobs and benefit more than 30,000 people. In the textile sector, SEKEM is widely lauded for having played an important role in spurring international demand for organic cotton. Its line of clothes is distributed to the United States and Europe through Alnatura under the brand Cotton People.
Organic Textiles
Posted - February 1, 2005
Why Organic Textiles? Did You Know
By Staff - Organic & Wellness News - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2005
- Conventional cotton growers are the world’s largest users of pesticides, using 20% of all global insecticides
- The average cotton t-shirt takes 150 grams of pesticide
- Non-organic cotton gets between 2 and 9 applications of pesticide each season. In some countries, there can be as many as 20 applications
- Chemicals used include organophosphates, pyrethroids, carbamates and organochlorines. They are toxic and frequently persist in the environment, causing the death of animals higher in the food chain and disrupting the local ecology
- Some of these chemicals, such as the organophosphates, bioaccumulate, which means they concentrate in animals higher up the food chain. These chemicals can cause nervous system damage, cancer, birth defects, reproductive abnormalities and birth defects
- Many of the wet processes that involve dyeing, cleaning or changing the look and texture of a fabric involve heavy chemical use. Wet textile processing facilities in the developing world frequently fail to manage waste with any regard for the environment. Effluent, carrying toxic chemicals, is often sent to municipal water treatment plants, which lack the facilities to properly treat the effluent. Worse still, it is not uncommon for effluent to be discharged straight into local rivers
Pesticide Action Network UK estimated that at least 20,000 people in developing countries die every year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides. Three suffer acute or reproductive after-effects of conventional cotton production.
Economically, farmers in developing countries who use pesticides find them to be a spiralling debt trap, with farmers being exploited by pesticide salesmen. The more pesticides you use, the more you need to use because pests continually develop a tolerance to pesticides. When crops fail, farmers need to borrow more money to buy different pesticides, which will eventually fail, too as pests become resistant to them also.
Amnesty International reported that a few years ago in Andhra Pradesh, India, more than 80 conventional farmers committed suicide as crops failed and they were left with staggering debts.
PAN UK reports that in 2000, in the small West African cotton-producing country of Benin, 260 cases of pesticide poisoning, 24 of which were fatal, were reported. Poisoning was likely caused by unsafe use of endosulfan by poorly equipped and poorly trained farmers.
The same companies that sell the pesticides (Monsanto, DuPont, Dow, Syngenta Bayer) are also developing GM cotton, a different way get farmers into debt without addressing the deleterious aspects of conventional agriculture. Over 45% of all conventional cotton grown in the US is genetically engineered.
Conventional cotton production can also effect the environment in a non-chemical way. By the beginning of the 1990s, the surface area of the Aral Sea had shrunk by nearly half, and the volume was down by 75%. A host of secondary environmental effects began to appear, including dust storms a regional climate change.
The loss of water was mainly due to the growth of irrigated agriculture, particularly cotton. Over-irrigation has concentrated salt and pesticide residue in many of the agricultural areas surrounding the Aral Sea.
The Good News
Organic cotton farmers have developed natural methods of pest control and keep their fields safer for people and wildlife.
In Uganda, cotton is called pamba. Nginigini are the predatory black ants used in cotton production to keep caterpillars and other pests at bay. Organic farmers find the ants in leaves below banana trees and transfer them to the cotton. Using an organic principle called ‘companion planting’ Sorghum is grown around the cotton to attract Aphids, which attract the ants. Okra is also grown nearby to attract ‘cotton stainer’ insects away from the cotton.
Where fibres are processed in accordance of organic standards, the use of harmful chemical inputs is much reduced.
Some of the more experienced organic farmers in pilot projects in sub-Saharan Africa are obtaining higher yields than conventional farmers, and organic farmers are clear that they will not go back to using chemicals unless forced to. Their incomes are usually higher as their purchases of inputs are reduced, and their health improves, reducing spending on health care, which is usually relatively expensive in developing countries
Where manufacturers and marketers have taken a risk on organic, it has paid off. Patagonia, Remei, Hess Natur and Sekem are just a few good examples!
Fourth Intercot
Posted - September 1, 2004
Intercot Celebrates 4th Edition
By Adriana Michael - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2004
The 4th intercot International Conference on Organic Textiles will be celebrated simultaneously with the All Things Organic trade show at McCormick Place in Chicago, May 1-3, 2005.
Its main topic Global Approaches to Organic Textiles, will explore cultivation challenges, processing, and organic textile harmonization, marketing strategies and social accountability. Intercot is a well known world forum and a key event for everyone throughout the textile chain, including farmers, processors, traders, consultants, designers, NGOs, researchers and anyone interested in organic textiles.
It will be presented by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and organized by it fits-Organic Development Support, a German textile consulting firm that assists enterprises in the development of ecological and sustainable innovations and concepts.
It fits also offers an interesting selection of books and guides in German and English for alternative management of textile companies, sourcing of organic fibres and sustainable design solutions. For more information contact company director katharina.paulitsch@itfits.de.
Soap Nuts
Posted - September 1, 2004
Soap Nuts: The Clean Alternative
By Anneliese Graschy - as printed in O.W.N. Fall 2004
Soap nuts are the ultimate alternative for environmentally friendly washing and cleaning. They can contribute to sustainability in a large way in rural areas. Ritha (sapindus mukorossi) is one of the best-known species of wild or domestic trees for soap-nuts. It belongs to the Sapindaceae group. There are also similar species growing naturally in South America, which are more widely used for medical purposes. Ritha soap trees come from the northern plains of the Ganges river in India and grow as far up as the southern slopes of the Himalayas.
Ancient cultures in China and Afghanistan have used them since ancient times. They grow up to 25 m high, with a lifespan of some 70 years, and provide more than fruit. The large branches and leaves offer shadow and the wood, hard and light yellow, is used as building material in rural areas. Ritha foliage, serves as cattle fodder during drought. In the Indian Ayurveda culture, the fresh flesh of the nut is of major importance for medicine. In Tibetan medicine it is used to treat common colds, epilepsy and constipation.
The dried fruit of Ritha is the most valuable part of the plant as far as the use in the western world is concerned, stated of Ulrich Helberg of Karibu Trade, a consulting and trading firm for rural eco-friendly enterprises. “Its fleshy portion has saponin, a good substitute for washing soap. Ordinary detergents have chemicals harmful to our water and the environment”.
The gentle, organic ways of ritha nuts do a much healthier, sustainable job. Many of the allergies common today could be avoided by using these nuts for our general body and clothes washing. Three or four nuts bundled in an old stocking, and there they go into the washing machine! Once the job is done, they can be used as hand soap.
Ritha fruits preserve your clothes and skin, wastewater and the environment. Planting the trees prevents erosion. The soap nuts also offer sustainability: Karibu Trade provides a steady and fair income to 40 north Indian families involved in its collection, packaging and transport, all in conformity with European certifying rules and controlling bodies.
Soil Association Textiles
Posted - February 1, 2004
Soil Association and SA Cert Launch Organic Textile Standards and Certification
By Lee Holdstock of the Soil Association - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2004
There’s no escaping the fact that the textile industry is a heavy user of chemicals, particularly in the growing and production process. A quarter of the world’s insecticides are used to grow cotton and a further 8,000 chemicals are available to process fabric. According to the World Health Organization, 20,000 people die in developing countries each year from poisoning by agricultural pesticides used on crops - many of these can be attributed to cotton.
In response to this, the Soil Association has spent two years creating standards for organic textiles. Developed by a team of industry experts for all stages of organic textile processing and manufacturing, these standards are intended to compliment the Soil Association’s already well trusted organic standards for food and farming.
The textile standards require manufactures of organic textiles to use methods that minimize negative effects on humans and the environment. They also require that all inputs be assessed on their biodegradability and toxicity to aquatic organisms (fish, algae and water fleas). In addition, inputs are not allowed if they are suspected, or proven, to cause other illnesses or conditions such as cancer or allergies. As would be expected from a stringent organic textile standard, heavy metals, including AZO dyes are prohibited and companies are encouraged to use natural dyes in their place. Soil Association certified textiles are produced without the use of genetic modified organisms.
It is Soil Association Certification Ltd, a subsidiary of the Soil Association, that offers inspection and certification to these standards, tracing production from the raw material throughout the environmentally responsible manufacturing chain to the finished article. SA Cert is no newcomer to certification. As a non-profit making organization with more than 4000 existing licensees in other sectors and a 30 year track record, SA Cert can boast unrivalled experience in UK organic certification. Once certified textile manufacturers will be able to use the widely recognized Soil Association symbol, the ultimate mark of organic integrity, which is already widely referred to by UK consumers as the one they trust.
David Peace, Managing Director of SA Cert, said: “There is huge potential for organic textiles in the UK. Over the last two years, sales of organic and environmentally friendly textile products have increased by 20%. As the scheme gathers momentum, shoppers will have peace of mind from the knowledge that their organic clothes can be made from organic raw materials produced as naturally as their organic food”.
The launch of SA Cert’s textile certification scheme will allow businesses of all sizes to display the well-known and respected Soil Association Symbol on their products. Coming hot on the heels of the new standards for organic health and beauty care products, this is another step on the way to help consumers live a fully organic lifestyle.
Certification with SA Cert provides a range of benefits including over 30 professional inspectors working in 20 countries worldwide and an expert team of office-based staff providing a robust inspection and certification service.
“Our textile certification will be open to other markets. We will be certifying manufacturers in all parts of the world who wish to access the UK market”, said Peace. “Not many organic certifiers in the EU or globally have dedicated textiles programs, so we hope that there will be scope for us to reach further than our food & farming schemes”.
Sekem a Model
Posted - February 1, 2004
Sekem - Business Model for the 21st Century
By O.W.N. News Network - as printed in O.W.N. Spring 2004
Today biodynamic agriculture has become more widely recognized throughout the world as a sustainable approach that can be adapted to suit many different weather and geographical conditions. It has even brought new fertility to desert regions as shown at the Demeter certified farms Sekem in Egypt, recently awarded with the Alternative Nobel Prize.
Taking the name from the hieroglyphic transcription meaning “vitality of the sun”, Sekem was the first entity following Demeter farming standards in Egypt. Founder Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish was born in Egypt but studied chemistry and medicine in Austria where he obtained his PhD in pharmacology and worked in the pharmaceutical research field for a few years. In 1975 he returned to a homeland suffering of overpopulation, pollution and weak health and education infrastructures. Egypt is still one of the major importers of food in the world despite the fact that 40 % of its population is involved in agricultural production.
Sekem was born in 1977 in an area of seventy hectares of desert land near Cairo. Three years later it was exporting its first shipment of active ingredients of medicinal herbs to the USA. In 1983 Sekem’s first product line of herbal remedies was introduced to the domestic market under its own brand, supported by a strong TV and advertising campaign.
Today, it employs 2,000 people and reports a revenue of 100 million Egyptian pounds. It is interesting to note that 55% of Sekem’s large variety of high quality consumer products is sold in the domestic market, a situation that seldom applies to most organic sector enterprises from developing countries. The company has also invested in the country by establishing and promoting educational, health and research institutions.
A remarkable contribution of Sekem has been its involvement in pesticide control, providing a new system of plant protection, information and training, especially to farmers from the cotton sector. In collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the new system has led to a ban of crop dusting throughout Egypt. According to Sekem, pesticide use in Egyptian cotton has fallen over 90%, while prior to the ban 350.000 tons of chemical pesticides were sprayed every year. Nearly 80% of Egyptian cotton has been grown organically since 2000 and average annual yields have increased by nearly 30%.
From organic produce to phyto-pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and textiles, Sekem has become a prosperous example of what a modern, sustainable business could be when managed with a holistic vision that promotes respect for people and the environment.
Founded in 1980, the Right Livelihood Awards are presented annually in the Swedish Parliament and are often referred to as “Alternative Nobel Prizes”. Sekem and four other recipients in other categories received the award at a presentation ceremony on December 8th, 2003.
