Summertime heat is upon us. As warm weather wardrobes come out of the closet, it is important to consider what we are wearing and its impact on our health, the planet, and the social conditions of those involved in its production. Sustainable, organic fashion, especially t-shirts, has become more available and affordable. As a consumer, you have a choice.
Why you should only wear sustainable, organic t-shirts this summer
Three years ago, Greenpeace issued a report on toxic fashion. They tested in 141 items made in 29 different countries. Phthalates, amines, and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) were found.
The chemicals found included high levels of toxic phthalates in four of the garments, and cancer-causing amines from the use of certain azo dyes in two garments. NPEs were found in 89 garments (just under two thirds of those tested), showing little difference from the results of the previous investigation into the presence of these substances in sports clothing that was conducted in 2011.4 In addition, the presence of many other different types of potentially hazardous industrial chemicals was discovered across a number of the products tested. as inherently hazardous substances, any use of NPes, phthalates, or azo dyes that can release cancer- causing amines, is unacceptable.
Around 80 billion garments are produced worldwide, the equivalent of just over 11 garments a year for every person on the planet. The increased volumes of clothing being made, sold, and thrown away magnifies the human and environmental costs of our clothes at every stage of their life cycle. Even the apparently small, quantities of a hazardous chemical such as NPEs, which are legally allowed in clothing, cumulatively amount to the widespread dispersal of damaging chemicals across the planet.
If you need a new t-shirt and wish to make a conscious choice as a consumer, we recommend Green Label Organic! These shirts are super soft and sustainably made in the USA. Green Label Organic explains why it is so important to choose organic cotton clothing:
The top three most pesticide-laden crops in the world are:
- Coffee
- Cotton
- Tobacco
Each year cotton producers around the world use nearly $2.6 billion worth of pesticides and insecticides, which accounts for more than 35% of the world’s annual pesticide and insecticide use. In California’s San Joaquin valley alone, more than 18 million pounds of pesticides are sprayed annually onto one million acres of cotton.
It takes approximately 1/3 of a pound of pesticides, herbicides, and defoliants to grow enough cotton to make just one conventional cotton T-shirt.
Of the nine chemicals used in growing cotton, five of them are known carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals). Every one of them is classified category I or II by the EPA. Categories I and II are considered the most dangerous chemicals.
We were sent the women’s Listen organic scoop neck t-shirt. I love this shirt and can’t wait to wear it backpacking.
Take some time to reflect….and don’t forget to listen. This is one of our most popular shirts for both men and women. It speaks to the musician, the artist and the outdoor enthusiast. Made in America using 100% organic cotton and garment-dyed, this tee is a perfect mix of honoring not only our hardworking farmers, but supporting all the American’s involved in the manufacturing of this shirt.
This t-shirt has a great message and is very comfortable to wear. I have received many compliments on mine. My conscience is clear knowing this shirt was made sustainably both socially and environmentally.
Green Label Organic is offering our readers a discount. Use the promo code ECO10 to receive your discount at checkout.
You have been playing fast and loose with your numbers. A small example is that the last time there were a million acres in the San Joaquin Valley was 1995. Today there is only 150,000 acres.
Don’t know where you got your information, but the San Joaquin Valley in California hasn’t had a million acres of cotton in over a decade. This year it’s only about 150,000 acres. So I must question the rest of your statistics as well.
Your pesticide information is about 30years old. That’s how long it has been since CA grew a million acres of cotton.Pesticide use in the US has fallen dramatically in the past 15 years. The pesticide with the greatest number of pounds used in CA is organically certified. It is Sulfur, used as a fungicide. Cotton produced in the U.S. is compliant with labor, environmental,chemical,conservation and social standards not found anywhere else in the world, no matter if produced organically or conventially. Please do some research before trying to defile a wonderful product.