Is that a Carbon Footprint on Your Back?
By Lisa Germinsky
That darling pocket tee looks so innocent. But if it’s not organic it’s likely taking a nasty toll on the environment. On average, the production of a conventional T-shirt requires 500 gallons of water and three pounds of chemical fertilizer. Not cute.
It’s a long journey from seed to sew. So while we await the invention of the zero-impact T-shirt, the organic-road-less-traveled is the path to take.
A seed is planted.
Conventional farmers use nearly a pound of chemical fertilizer and pesticide for every pound of cotton. Toxic chemicals disrupt wildlife ecosystems and harm the people who handle them.
Organic farmers work to restore nature’s balance using fertilizers like manure and plant-based pest-control products. Instead of killing living organisms that interfere with crop growth, natural predators do the job.
Harvest time.
Chemical herbicides defoliate plants for easier picking done by heavy machinery, which create greater waste and reduce soil productivity.
Organic cotton is often handpicked, especially in developing nations. It increases opportunities for fair trade and reduces waste.
We got the cotton, now what to do with the waste?
Cottonseed oil is added to human food while conventional by-products are used for animal feed. By feeding livestock leftover waste, pesticides end up in meat and dairy products.
Chemical-free by-products can safely produce organic food for animals and humans.
Knit, weave, dye, finish.
To get cotton soft, wrinkle-free, or fluorescent pink, chemicals like sodium hydroxide or formaldehyde must be used.
Organic cotton achieves similar treatment with nontoxic alternatives like natural spinning oil, potato starch, and low-impact dye.
