Classic clothing vs Organic clothing

Organic fiber clothing is fashionable. Garnishing more and more store displays, it is difficult to miss their growth. However, we have known our good old t-shirts since our childhood, so not easy to part with them. Should we still go organic

classic clothes

 for: accessibility, comfort, diversity of textiles and colors

against: polluting industry, potential allergies, sometimes high costs according to brands

Environment: the textile industry is distinguished by its

diversity. It includes natural materials such as wool or cotton, and artificial materials. Among these are synthetic fibers (polyamide, acrylic), mostly made from substances extracted from petroleum.These materials, cheaper and easier to maintain, are preferred in the textile industry, although their manufacture is polluting and their recycling remains difficult (nylon takes 30 to 40 years to decompose).

Depending on the type of textile used, the garment industry is less polluting. Leather for example, is derived from the tanning of the skin of farmed animals (cows, sheep, crocodiles ...). Its manufacture is causing environmental problems.

Leather represents on average 40% of profits from an animal, and sometimes more when these animals are mainly bred for their skin like crocodiles. In addition to the suffering of animals, industrial farming is at the origin of very important pollution, with nitrates for example, and has a large share of responsibility in global warming.

Brazil's industrial cattle ranch, which has more than 164 million head of cattle, releases impressive quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas. but it is also the cause of a consequent deforestation. In the Amazon, we deforest to create pasture areas.

In addition, tanneries use a large quantity of water (cleaning of raw materials, dyes, etc.) and chemical compounds to shape, soften and tint the skin before marketing.

In some countries, these chemicals (about 300 different substances) are released after use directly into nearby streams. In Bangladesh, there is no treatment of waste that is dumped into rivers whose water is used to water crops.

As for cotton, its cultivation requires fertilizers and pesticides that pollute and deplete the soil. The dyeing stage is loaded with chemicals and heavy metals, harmful to the environment. As for garment making, it leads to sewage discharges, air pollution (volatile agents due to spinning, weaving and garment in general) and significant energy expenditure.

In short, every stage of a garment's life has an impact on the environment.

Cotton fields absorb about 25% of insecticides worldwide ...

Range: The wide range of clothing products that exists today on the market allows to vary the styles, according to the cultures. Since 2000, brands have emerged and outfits are evolving.

Comfort: according to the cuts and the fabrics, the classic clothes are generally very comfortable.

Health: conventional textiles can be the cause of cutaneous manifestations (dermatitis, allergies ...). The allergens include disperse dyes and chemicals used to finish clothing.

Price: the price of classic clothes vary according to brands. For a mid-range T-shirt, for example, it takes between 10 and 15 euros. A reasonable and accessible price.

Organic clothing

FOR: 100% natural fibers, comfort, less allergenic

AGAINST: high cost, ranges still small, lack of accessibility and visibility

Environment: The organic textile industry uses organic farming for the production of its clothing. That is, it uses only pesticides and natural fertilizers for raw materials. Textiles are processed without chemical treatment (especially without chlorine) and tinted with products free of heavy metals. The organic textile industry also helps to preserve biodiversity by using traditional cotton seeds and excluding pesticides and GMOs. Irrigation methods are artisanal and consume less water than intensive irrigation methods.

There are different types of biological tissues:

virgin wool whose fibers isolate perfectly from the cold,

bamboo whose fibers are soft, hydrophilic and anti-odor,

organic cotton harvested by hand, more respectful of sensitive skin,

organic hemp,

antibacterial and resistant. It grows alone, without fertilizer, and does not damage the soil.

organic linen: fresh and elegant,

natural and organic silk: both noble and solid.

Some very innovative companies have developed new natural materials based on seaweed, soy, milk casein etc.

The labels that guarantee the biological origin of cotton:

the EKO label of Skal, the main body certifying the ethical fashion in France for clothing brands Ideo or Ethos,

the Oko-Tex standard 100 label, which guarantees consumers irreproachable textile products for their health

the Naturtextil label of IVN (International Association of Natural Textiles).

Among the certification bodies for organic cotton, we can mention:

DEMETER: certification body for biodynamic agriculture,

IMO: internationally recognized certification body for raw materials,

IFOAM: International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

Range: Organic clothing ranges are much smaller than conventional clothing. It is still very difficult to find a pair of socks or organic cotton underwear! The ranges are therefore still little developed. However, organic is a place in fashion and rhymes more and more aesthetically. The ranges are therefore probably on the way to the extension.

Comfort: the 100% organic fiber is in principle softer and more supple but is not significantly more comfortable to wear than a classic garment, it nevertheless allows better breathe the skin and is less conducive to irritation.

Health: the absence of chemicals in the production of organic textiles really limits the risk of allergies and dermatitis especially in young children and babies.

Price: organic textile clothing is often more expensive than its conventional counterparts. It takes between 15 and 30 euros on average t-shirt labeled organic.

The consoGlobe verdict

Classic clothing: 4/10

Organic clothing: 7/10

Synthetic textiles have been part of our lives since our earliest childhood. We all had a tee-shirt or a pair of favorite chemical socks! But we must admit that each stage of the life of such a garment is very bad for the environment, even for the health of the most fragile of us.

From the raw materials they require to their clothing, the clothes we wear now contribute significantly to the pollution of our good old planet (waste, oil, chemical substances of all kinds, high consumption of water and water). energy, dyes, difficult recycling of textiles etc).