We were asked to write an article about eco-friendly clothing. Us? An article on fashion? One of us, not naming names, is lucky if his socks match when he goes to work. So rather than focusing on the vogue of eco-friendly, we thought we might talk about the fabrics of eco-friendly.
The debate about eco-friendly fabrics is actually pretty ancient, and began quite accidentally when the first Stone Age comedian responded to a heckler with, “Hey, nice shirt! How many mammoths did you have to kill for that?” Since then, choice of fabric has reflected attitudes toward resources.
We have seen many different “sustainable” fabrics, including those made from shredded pop bottles. Plastic fibres can actually make a pretty good, rugged substitute for fabrics like canvas, and is great for things like backpacks. However, it wouldn’t make a great shirt. Bamboo and hemp fibres are also becoming more popular, and make good fabrics for clothing. However, the discussion around fabrics and eco-friendly fabrics really must centre around organic Âcotton.
In spite of growth in other plant fibres, cotton still provides about 50 per cent of all global fibre needs. Cotton is viewed as “natural” and, by many, preferable to synthetic fibres. However, traditional cotton is actually one of the most environmentally-damaging agricultural products we grow, accounting for about 25 per cent of global insecticide use on about 2.5 per cent of cropland.
Discussions of organic farming generally raise some ambivalent feelings for us. While moving away from heavy reliance on pesticides and synthetic fertilizers sounds good, it can lead to significant reductions in crop yield. Compensating for the lost production requires more land and carries opportunity costs in use of agricultural land for other crops.
Organic cotton production may reduce yield, and frequently does relative to traditional cotton. However, a number of recent studies on organic cotton production have found that yield can be comparable.
Typically, organic cotton uses animal manure as well as “green manure,” a cover crop that is later tilled into the soil. When this cover crop is a food crop, this added benefit can actually improve the efficiency of land use. From a financial consideration, revenue from food production coupled with decreased expenditures on pesticides and increased premiums for organic cotton can even compensate the grower for any reduced cotton production.
Of course, nothing good comes without a price. Without the use of insecticides, a common practice is the use of natural predators. In California, production of organic cotton may employ the release of green lacewing larvae, predaceous mites, and wasps to reduce the populations of insects that damage cotton crops. This is probably the most damning aspect of organic cotton.
While organic cotton may be better for the environment than traditional cotton, maybe it is time to become comfortable with being asked, “Hey buddy, how many nylons did you have to kill to make that shirt?”
Sophia Dore is an environmental scientist with Conestoga-Rovers & Associates. Andrew Laursen is an assistant professor at Ryerson University; earthtones.metro@gmail.com.
