PFAs and PFCs are perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances
We published this in March, 2015, but it’s worth going over again. In 2012, Greenpeace analyzed a total of 141 items of clothing, and found high levels of phthalates in four of the garments and NPE’s in 89 garments – in quantities as high as 1,000 ppm – as well as a variety of other …
Nicholas Kristof had an editorial in the New York Times on February 25, 2018. This is a reproduction of his editorial: Our bodies are full of poisons from products we use every day. I know – I’ve had my urine tested for them. Surprised? So was I when I had my urine tested for these …
No parent would want toxic materials in their children’s clothing. Yet according to a new Greenpeace study,[1] a range of hazardous chemicals is being used in the production of kids’ wear from top fashion brands. A frequent question about producing toxin-free clothing is whether it is economically feasible for textile companies to replace hazardous chemicals with …
“Going personally green is a bet, nothing more or less, though it’s one we probably all should make, even if the odds of it paying off aren’t great. Sometimes you have to act as if it will make a difference, even when you can’t prove that it will.” Michael Pollan Our children today live in …
We haven’t talked about stain repellents for a few years (we last published a blog on the subject 4 years ago) and think it’s time to revisit the topic because of all the claims that companies are making about “safe” stain repellents. Here’s why stain repellents are simply doing us no good: All stain repellent …
Why do we say we want to change the textile industry? Why do we say we want to produce fabrics in ways that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable? What could be so bad about the fabrics we live with? The textile industry is enormous, and because of its size its impacts are profound. It uses …
Google should be applauded for requiring that all products used in their workplaces be compliant with the Living Building Challenge Red List. Because textiles are, by weight, approximately 27% synthetic chemicals, and because they surround you from the time you wake in the morning and throughout the night, they are a major contributor to our …
If a fabric is identified as 100% “cotton” – or even 100% “organic cotton” — it’s important to remember that processing the fiber, and then weaving it into fabric, is very chemically intense. One-quarter of the total weight of the finished fabric is made up of synthetic chemicals, so it’s important to know that the …
Design decisions influence our health –so your choice of a sofa fabric could influence you and your family in ways far beyond what you imagined. Our children start life with umbilical cords infused with chemicals that affect the essence of human life itself – the ability to learn, reason and reproduce. And fabric – which …
Here’s to new beginnings and fresh starts! I hope you are all looking forward to a fulfilling 2013. Everybody seems to be up in arms about chemicals used in fabrics, some of which have gotten lots of media attention recently, such as PBDE’s, which were featured in the Chicago Tribune series “Playing with Fire” and …
OEcotextiles 