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ORGANIC AND ETHICAL CLOTHING
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When buying clothing sometimes it's interesting to look at alternatives and listen to the arguments for why. Below are some interesting points about an interesting, alternative, organic clothing approach.
No longer are organic clothes a hippy or "brown teeth" concern now more and more people are looking into viable alternative methods of producing everyday items such as organically produced hemp or cotton clothing and hemp blend fabrics. While the anti-drug lobby comment about the farming of organic hemp and the US government try and protect it's own indigenous cotton trade more and more companies are looking towards organic cotton and organic hemp with the aim of producing organic clothes for an ever increasing ethically aware consumer base.
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PLANET EARTH GREEN LABEL
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The problems with growing conventional cotton.
Growing conventional cotton involves the indiscriminate spraying - both on the ground and from the air - of chemical toxins to eliminate insects, control weeds and strip the plants of leaves for harvesting.
- In 1994, at least 50 million pounds of pesticides and over one billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were used in six major cotton growing states.
- It takes about 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to make one standard T-shirt.
- Accidental pesticide poisoning causes 20,000 deaths and 3 million non-fatal poisonings every year, worldwide.
The benefits of Organic Cotton
Many farmers are successfully weaning their land of toxins and turning to sustainable agricultural practices. Cotton is now grown organically - and profitably - without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.
Biodiversity:
Organic growing techniques involve crop rotation, which encourages diversity and a healthier ecosystem.
Soil Fertility:
The use of cover crop rotations helps to reduce erosion and improve the quality of the soil.
True Economy:
Buying organic means you don't have to sacrifice the environment's health and well-being - or your own - for the clothes on your back.
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ELWOOD
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THTC
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VOLCOM
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ELWOOD
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Properties of Hemp based textiles.
Hemp fibre is one of the strongest and most durable of all natural textile fibres, hemp is three times stronger than cotton. Clothes made from hemp will outlast their competition by many years. Not only are hemp t-shirts strong, but they also hold their shape, stretching less than any other natural fibre. Hemp may be known for its durability, but its comfort and style are second to none. The more hemp clothing is used, the softer it gets. "Hemp clothes do not wear out, they wear in." Hemp is also naturally resistant to mould and ultraviolet light.
Due to the porous nature of the fibre, hemp is more water absorbent, and will dye and retain its colour better than any fabric including cotton. This porous nature allows hemp clothing to "breathe", so that it is cool in warm weather. Furthermore, air which is trapped in the fibres is warmed by the body, making hemp clothes naturally warm in cooler weather.
Environmental Advantages
Hemp is an extremely fast growing crop, producing more fibre yield per acre than any other source. Hemp can produce 250% more fibre than cotton and 600% more fibre than flax using the same amount of land. The amount of land needed for obtaining equal yields of fibre place hemp at an advantage over other fibres.
Hemp grows best in warm tropical zones or in moderately cool, temperate climates, China being one of the major quality producers. Hemp leaves the soil in excellent condition for any succeeding crop, especially when weeds may otherwise be troublesome. Where the ground permits, hemp's strong roots descend for three feet or more. The roots anchor and protect the soil from runoff, building and preserving topsoil and subsoil structures similar to those of forests. Moreover, hemp does not exhaust the soil. Hemp plants shed their leaves all through the growing season, adding rich organic matter to the topsoil and helping it retain moisture. Farmers have reported excellent hemp growth on land that had been cultivated steadily for nearly 100 years.
Organic Clothing Brands
The clothing company that is offering the largest range of organic clothing on Sturban Clothing is Planet Earth with their Green Label clothing range launched November 06 we chose to carry and extensive range. The Planet Earth Green Label is a range on men's clothing aimed at the urban market manufactured from natural, organic and sustainable materials including Organic Cotton, Hemp, Ramie and recycled materials.
"We recognize that our actions as a company, and as individuals, affect the overall welfare of the planet. This responsibility to our environment and its future led to the creation of our Green Label collection," said Chris Miller, founder of Planet Earth.
"We're proposing a new viewpoint and way of doing things for a more sustainable."
Planet Earth offers the a full organic clothing range but ther are other clothing companies on Sturban Clothing offering limited offerings of organic t-shirts mainly first has to be THTC The Hemp Trading Company who produce hemp / organic cotton blend t-shirts with hip hop and drum and bass inspired designs on the front THTC is worn by everybody in the scene, Skinnyman, Doc Brown, Jehst, Dj Hype and Goldie to name a few. Matix have brought some organic t-shirts but they sold out almost straight away other than that organic clothing is slim on the ground these days but more urban companies are embracing the eco ethic.
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