When you cuddle up in a cozy jumper, or wear your new summer dress, the last thing you want to associate with it is toxic chemicals seeping into your skin, and into your organs. Sadly, the risk of just that happening is high. Most industrially produced clothing today features a host of chemicals from dyes and pesticides, poisoning water, earth, and people.
Studies have shown that due to insufficient controls and standards, the toxins in many items of clothing far exceed the amounts that are deemed safe. These include substances linked to cancer and hormonal disruption, which are highly poisonous both to eco-systems and human-health. Not only are you, as a consumer exposed to these substances, but the factory-workers who produce these items of clothing (mostly in Asia) for very little, or even no pay, are being subjected to working with poisonous chemicals with little or no protection on a daily basis. These workers include children. It has been estimated that every year, thousands of people die as a result of working in clothing factories in countries like India and China. Cases include disease caused by toxic chemicals, fatal accidents due to poor health-and-safety regulations and suicides due to the conditions under which people have to work.
As with many other products these days, many items of clothing are designed to wear out fast, so that you are likely to buy a replacement sooner rather than later. This incentive to excessive consumption of clothing is added to by the industry's control of what is deemed fashionable and what isn't: fashions must change as quickly as possible in order to ensure that people keep replacing their clothing and buying more - and the pressure to be fashionable is kept high at all times.
Unfortunately, there are few affordable brands of clothing made from eco-friendly fibers and avoiding industrially produced clothing is difficult. But there are a few things you can do: look for organic cotton, locally farmed wool (ideally organic), recycled fibers and second-hand clothing. Limit your consumption of clothing from big fashion retailers. If you do buy from an industrial retailer, opt for items that do not have a strong chemical smell to them. Always wash all new clothing before you start wearing it, ideally more than once. This reduces the amount of chemicals that can absorb into your skin. Bear in mind though that these same chemicals will enter the water-cycle through washing. So it's always best to try and look for ethically produced clothing. Research brands to educate yourself about their track record regarding the treatment of workers and the environment.
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