Buying organic is the first step. But how “green” is an organic shirt? What kind of dyes were used to create that lovely blue color? And who did the stitching? How much did that person get paid? Poetique Couture has got you covered on all bases.
√ Organic cotton
√ Low Impact, azo-free dyes
√ Socially responsible, fair trade labor
Azo dyes and pigments are commonly used to color textiles and plastics. Some of the by-products, such as chlorinated aromatic amines, are toxic and may be potential carcinogens. The European Commission has recently passed directive 76/769EEC, which bans the usage of certain azo dyes for use in any textile or leather product which may come in “direct or prolonged” contact with the skin or mouth. Also, azo dyes and pigments resist biodegradation under aerobic conditions, so they are difficult to remove from an ecosystem.
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as consciousness of social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, and flowers.
