I was thrilled to find a bunch of organic cotton t-shirts in Zara today! They are reasonably priced and really well-cut. It’s so heartening to see that many large retailers like Zara, H&M, and even Walmart, are now giving us an organic cotton option.
Why is it so important to buy organic cotton? First off, most of the cotton grown in the US is conventional cotton, however, only 5% of farmland is used for this crop. That being said, a whopping 15% of the country’s chemical fertilizers are used on cotton. Yes – cotton is a crop that often requires a heavy dose of the very chemicals that beneficial insects and microorganisms in the soil. The worst thing, however, is the contamination of surrounding surface and ground water.
You may have heard of something called a “Dead Zone”. This is where chemical fertilizers have run off the land into areas of water, which have become completely deprived of oxygen. Without oxygen, fish and coral cannot survive. The runoff from cotton farms in the Mississippi River basin have created a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico that is the size of New Jersey.
The most powerful thing you can do is to vote with your dollars. Every time you choose an organic cotton item over a conventional one, you are sending a message to the marketplace that Americans want a healthier farming system.
There are so many organic cotton options now, so wherever you choose to shop, ask them if they carry organic cotton. You can also find organic cotton makeup remover pads/rounds at most drugstores including CVS and Walgreen’s. Remember, every small purchase makes a difference.
Here are some of my organic cotton picks:
Zara: Cute t-shirts and stripey sailor long sleeved, boat-neck t’s.
H&M: They always carry a pretty fashion-forward line of garments either made from sustainable materials or from organic cotton.
Loomstate: This is a super-trendy and gorgeous line.
Stewart + Brown: This company is one of the industry leaders in creating beautiful organic and sustainable clothes.
Patagonia: This is a fabulous green store for sports and adventure clothing and shoes.
Raw Earth Wild Sky: Love their easy-to-wear casual and cozy pieces – especially the Woodland Jacket.
I love that the bigger stores are moving towards using organic cottons, recycled poly and other eco friendly fabrics.
Much kudos!
peace+love
PERI
Thank you for the info! The more people who think before they purchase and vote with their dollars, the better the world will be.
While I completely agree that it’s great so many big stores are moving toward more organic options, I think it’s important to keep in mind that many of their efforts toward sustainability are meant for improving their images. Often the changes they’re making do not go far enough. Fair Trade, dyeing processes, and final finishing are also super important. Here’s some more info about one company that’s got it’s eco dye process all figured out: http://ow.ly/bSflj They also give lots of information about Fair Trade practices.