We are living in a time when the rich resources our loving Mother Earth has provided us with are now, as a result of abuse and misuse by man, in need of sustaining to ensure their provision not only for her living inhabitants now, but for future generations to come. It is because of this, that a growing awareness in and ‘go-green’ consciousness of creative ways to assist in this precious recycling of resources has developed. From Number 1 PET or PETE soda and water bottle plastics recycled into polar fleece, to the use of natural fibers, dyes and chemical free cleaning processes on our textile goods, being eco-friendly has become as necessary as it has trendy!
But what about all the labels and terminology associated with such a simple concept? How do we identify the difference between recycled, reconstructed and repurposed goods? And what do we need to look for when shopping for our favorite fabric finds? J&O Fabrics top ten terms are sure to help increase your knowledge and decrease you shopping stress through our quick reference guide. Check our organic fabrics at the bottom of our blog for quick eco-friendly finds as well!
1. Bio-degradable fabric: material that breaks down with the assistance of natural microorganisms. Basically this fabric will be absorbed and recycled by Mother Earth’s soils if left over time.
2. Certified Organic: material that has been grown according to strict uniform standards that are verified by an independent state or private organizations (ie no pesticides, chemicals or gmo’s)
3. Chemically Optimized: material has been optimized to eliminate toxicity to human health and the environment (ie…carcinogens, mutagens etc)
4. Natural Fibers: material made of nature made fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, silk, etc.
5. Low-impact died: material dyed with chemical free solutions that carry minimum impact on environment and use of natural resources such as water retention.
6. Eco-friendly : A term used to describe goods or procedures that cause very little, if any, harm to the environment.
7. Natural Vegetable Fibers : material normally comprised of cellulose and include the following: Bamboo, Coir, Cotton, Flax, Hemp, Jute, Kenaf, Linen, Manila, Pina, Raffia, Ramie, and Sisal.
8. Ozone Bleaching : An alternative bleaching process used for finishing in denim manufacturing. It is environmentally acceptable because it does not use harmful chemicals, requires a low quantity of water, and bleaching is achieved in a relatively short amount of time at room temperature.
9. Ahimsa silk : An alternative, non-harmful method of producing silk. Silk is woven by making use of empty cocoons rather than harvesting live moth pupae. Cultivated on forest trees, the silk is spun after the silkworm metamorphoses into a moth and flies away leaving its cocoon. This type of silk derives its name from the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain doctrine of peace and non-violence.
10. Natural bleaching : hydrogen peroxide was used to whiten fibers, rather than a chemical such as chlorine.
