This got me thinking about the harmful pesticides in cotton. Little by little we should try to incorporate organic cotton into our wardrobe and bedding. I know it's not cheap but the good news is that it's getting easier to find. I recommend that everyone invest in an organic cotton sheet set. On budget? Check out target, amazon and overstock.com for a set under 100.00. Little changes here and there can start to make a difference. Ready for the facts??
-5 of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. are KNOWN cancer causing chemicals.
-Less than 25% of a pesticide sprayed from a crop duster ever hits the crop. The remainder can drift for miles contaminating fruit and vegetable crops. Not to mention what this does to our water wells and soil.
-It is estimated that as much as 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain.
-It can take almost a 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizer to grow one pound of raw cotton and it takes just under one pound of raw cotton to make one Tshirt.
If you don't buy organic, can you wash the chemicals out with enough cycles through the laundry? Or do they stay in the clothing forever?
ReplyDeleteGreat question! Some say yes and some say some residue is left. However, after cotton is grown, it's processed with even more chemicals. All this processing is really bad for the environment. So even if it can be washed out (we really don't know) we don't want to hurt mother nature. And keep in mind kids can not detox pesticides as well as adults. Their systems are not strong enough.
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