http://www.care2.com/greenliving/sensuous-sensible-sustainable-sheets.html
Sensuous, Sensible, Sustainable Sheets
By Melissa Breyer, Producer, Care2 Green Living.
I’ll take cotton sheets over their synthetic sisters in a heartbeat—but the thought of all those pesticides used on cotton crops has been elbowing me in the psyche lately. Looking for organic cotton bedding, I found these instead and couldn’t believe my skin when I first slipped into a set of such soothing, eco-friendly sheets. So soft, so supple, so sustainable.
Who would have thought that bamboo—yes, bamboo!—could be spun into such a miracle fiber. The resulting textile is durable and strong, and its resilience allows for superb color retention through multiple washings. It has excellent wicking properties and dries faster than cotton, which results in decreased odor accumulation. It is even hypoallergenic and antibacterial. Performance aside, it is the feel of the textile that leaves me swooning—sleek and silky beyond compare. This is how I imagine one million thread count cotton sheets might feel, but with a better conscience.
According to the Organic Consumers Association, cotton is the most toxic crop on the planet. (If you are utterly devoted to your non-organic cotton sheets, you may want to skip this paragraph!) Cotton crops account for more than 25 percent of all the insecticides and 12 percent of all the pesticides used in the world. And these aren’t in the “gentle” category of toxins—we’re talking some of the worst of the worst. As found in an EPA report, in California (one of the only states to require pesticide-use reports) 12 of the top 15 pesticides used for cotton caused birth defects, 10 caused multiple birth defects, and 13 were toxic or very toxic to fish or birds or both. Yikes. If that isn’t bad enough, cotton crops generally use up to seven times more fertilizer than they do pesticides. Cotton fertilizers are best known for spoiling the air and polluting rivers, groundwater basins, and aquifers everywhere the crop is grown. Bamboo, on the other hand, is rapidly renewable and flourishes naturally without the use of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers.
Enough said, right? So let’s just cut to the chase here, and sleep a little easier:
100% Bamboo Sheets
Bamboo/Cotton Blend Sheets
related stories
-
-
(5 comments)
-
(7 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
30 comments
add your comment »thanks...
Kabin
Konteyner,Prefabrik
mega kabin
Konteyner
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Dear Fatima,
You are right there are much more European brands that are actively using the Oekotex label on this page you can find the brands that are using it officially: http://www.oekotex.com/OekoTex100_PUBLIC/content1.asp?area=hauptmenue&site=einkaufsfuehrer&cls=02&page=2&SHOW_1=&SHOW_2=2,%201&EPRO=9&VPRO=9&tr=3#ts
You can also find International companies that are working hard to deliver good products:
- Ann Taylor
- adidas-Group
- C&A
- Gap, Inc.
- H&M
- Levi Strauss & Co.
- New Balance
- Nike
- PUMA
- REI
- s. Oliver
- TESCO
- Timberland
Above companies are working for better productions in different ways, read more on each web page. For examples H&M has very detailed CSR site (CSR=corporate Social Responsibility) and their product are not expensive.
http://www.hm.com/us/corporateresponsibility__responsability.nhtml
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
oekotex where can you find this label I never seen it in any american store?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Reg. Toxins and Pesticides:
I would like to add some more fact to Fatima Ks statemeent:
To grow and transport conventional cotton harmful substances are added in different steps of the process. Still few of them are still left (if any) in the product when it reaches the final customer. More chemicals are added during dyeing and finishing of the fabric, which can be harmful for humans or the environment. To find textiles which are tested to be less harmful for humans please look for Oekotex or other ecolabels. Read more at: http://www.oekotex.com/OekoTex100_PUBLIC/index.asp?cls=02
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
and everything in our world is made of toxic and pesticide. even the food we are eating.
so if are buy Bamboo or cotton they have toxic.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
i know cotton is bad,but organic stuff are very expansive too
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
yes, but, sadly, i have read that the process of making bamboo into fabric is a very toxic process, with damaging chemicals used to make it, and a lot of toxic byproducts. i cannot remember where i read it, but it is worth looking into further. of course the companies that produce these products might not be advertising about that. which i see concurs with susan t's comments. it is not easy to make responsible choices in this very complex world we live in!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Thank you Annie...the title of this article "Shopping green is a vote" is excellent. One has to start somewhere; by becoming more aware of what you buy is also making a choice for the good of our world a powerful vote indeed. Now that more people are reading the lables and finding out what toxic chemicals are in the product or sometimes even by smelling the toxic fumes upon opening them especially cleaning agents, is damaging to health and to the enviornment. This was happening for years and nobody did much about it until people began to highlight the issue and shoppers started becoming more aware of what they were buying. Thanks again Annie.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
If you've been around cotton fields you would know this in order to remove the cotton from the plant it is sprayed with a defoliant...anybody old enough to remember Viet Nam? And that's just one of the poisons ut on the cotton.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/09/bamboo-facts-be.html
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: