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 …
Let’s begin our review of chemicals used in textile processing with the one chemical that is used most often and in far greater quantity than any other: salt. That’s right. Common table salt, the kind you probably use every day. But in the quantities used by this industry it becomes a monster – we’ll get …
Chris Wood – an independent journalist living on Vancouver Island, Canada, wrote an article in Miller-McCune about China’s cotton problem. Most of the information here is taken from his article. You can read the complete article here. Clients often ask us where our fabrics and/or fibers come from because, they tell us, they don’t want …
Water. Our lives depend on it. It’s so plentiful that the Earth is sometimes called the blue planet – but freshwater is a remarkably finite resource that is not evenly distributed everywhere or to everyone. The number of people on our planet is growing fast, and our water use is growing even faster. About 1 …
We’ll be at Greenbuild next week, booth 910, with our good friends from LIVE Textiles. Please stop by to see us if you’re there. We are introducing a new organic wool upholstery fabric at Greenbuild (we’re hoping it will be GOTS certified, though it is touch and go as to whether the certificate will be …
A new study focused on global water issues, commissioned by an international network of scientists, found that people around the world view water issues as the planet’s top environmental problem – greater than air pollution, depletion of natural resources, loss of habitat or climate change. (click here to read more on this study). That shouldn’t …
I had a blog post about genetically modified organisims (GMOs) all ready to go, but then I got Sunday’s New York Times (September 13, 2009) with a front page story about rising incidences of violations of the Clean Water Act in the U.S.: more than half a million violations in the last five years alone. …
I thought we’d take a look at the dyeing process because so many people ask if we use “natural” dyes. The answer is no, we don’t (although we’re not entirely objecting to natural dyes), and I hope the next two blogs will explain our position! Let’s first take a look at what makes the dyes …
I just watched Downstream – and had my eyes opened about an industrial project which is considered to be the most ecologically destructive project on Earth: the Alberta tar sands. Downstream is a new documentary by Academy Award nominee Lesley Iwerks, which you too can watch at http://www.babelgum.com/downstream . But I warn you, it’s unsettling …
OEcotextiles 