There is a lot of confusion about what organic products are. Organic products are grown without artificial pesticides and fertilizers. Natural products are free of synthetic ingredients. In the case of fabrics, organic bags are created with fibers grown through organic farming methods.
Organic cotton is considered more eco-friendly than conventional cotton produced using chemical products that hurt the environment.
Products with the USDA label rely on natural and biological substances and mechanical and physical farming methods.
Organic farms are highly monitored to ensure the production of 100% organic products without chemical products that affect water, air, and soil. The stringent monitoring is geared towards seeing quality production.
What are Organic Products Made From?
As the name suggests, the products are made from organically grown crops, that have been provided by those who make it their life’s work to properly care for and grow them. Without them, and pieces of equipment like the roller crimper, we wouldn’t have access to things like organic jutes, which are made from jute plants.
The same applies to cotton; cotton is made from organically grown cotton fiber when cotton is labeled organic.
Necessary to note is that certified organic products are not only made from organically grown crops, but the manufacturing process used to produce the final product is also organic. Essentially, the production process must meet the guidelines set for creating organic products to the latter.
That means any prohibited substances must not be used in production. Some of the guidelines may include the types of chemicals used on the farm and even specify how long the farm should have stayed without contact with fertilizers.
When it comes to the production of fabrics, dyeing, spinning, and other processes must also be certified as organic.
What are Organic Textile Manufacturing Processes?
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has a clear set of criteria for organic textile manufacturing, covering the growth of the fibers as aforementioned; it involves using purely organic practices.
The process of turning the crop extracts into fibers, such as ginning in the case of cotton, should be through mechanical methods. Spinning should also be done in ways that don’t contaminate the fibers. Machinery that ensures 100% organic production is also utilized in this process.
Yarn is also sized using cornstarch to give it protection against breakage during weaving. One of the biggest concerns in organic textile production is the use of dyes that produce toxic waste. Generally, the conventional dyeing process is very toxic and is intensive on water resources.
The toxic chemicals affect the surrounding environment and remain on the fabric after the production process.
Organic dyeing, also known as eco dyeing, involves the use of natural dyes.
The demand for products that are not produced with heavy chemicals and are not genetically modified is rising.
Businesses and consumers are interested in sustainably produced products that are not harmful to their health and the environment.
Understanding the concept of organic products is crucial as you make changes to align with sustainable living.
There are agencies tasked with smoking out businesses that label their products as organic when they are not. Be careful when defining organic products to avoid unnecessary lawsuits and other issues.
