At PopLove we use two types of sustainable materials in our items: vintage/reclaimed materials and organic cotton. It is obvious how reused materials have a close-to-zero carbon footprint, however the use of organic cotton always seems a bit confusing. It is still freshly produced material using up resources and labor. The title "organic" often seems a bit unclear. How is this any greener than ordinary cotton you ask? We asked the same.
There are some fascinating facts that show very clearly that organic cotton is a more sustainable choice than conventional cotton:
- Conventional cotton takes up only 3% of farmland around the globe, but it uses 25% of the world's chemical pesticides. In fact, the EPA considers 7 of the 15 main pesticides that are used on cotton as human carcinogens.
- Actually it is estimated that only 10% of these pesticides accomplish their task, as most of the chemicals sprayed from the air and can drift into nearby neighborhoods and contaminate local Eco-systems. The pesticides that reach their target will often absorb into the plants, air, water and soil poisoning us in the end...
- Since the insects become immune to the chemicals used, the quantities and types need to be increased, and this often causes ecological disasters. For example the EPA estimated that between 1-2 million birds are killed annually by carbofuran, just one insecticide used on cotton.
- Organic farming methods use natural fertilizers, like compost and animal manure, that recycles the nitrogen already in the soil rather than adding more, which reduces both pollution and emissions.
- Organic cotton doesn't have traces of the toxins as in the case of conventional cotton. People with sensitive skin can be irritated by these traces in normal cotton.
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| Our new unisex Tank |
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| Our new unisex Tank |
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| Our new unisex Tank |
