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Read why we must reduce the use of paper and plastic and support the use of organic cotton in the following sections:
How to pick cheap cotton
How do manufacturers manage to sell cotton products at such low prices? Apart from paying the factory workers very low wages, could it be worse?
Could it be that children are forced to pick the cotton? Visit this site and watch the video about cotton farming in Uzbekistan for a possible answer.
Indeed, we must mind how we "pick our cotton".
Why organic cotton?
Why not paper tissue?
Why not plastics?
Why not AZO dyes?
Why not paper wrapper?
For more eco-information links
Eco-Shopping Links:
Why organic cotton?
- Non-organic cotton occupies only 3% of the world’s farmland, but uses 25% of the world’s chemical pesticides which ends up not only in the cotton, but in the air, water and soil.
- The most acutely toxic pesticide registered by the Environment Protection Agency is aldicarb. In California alone between 1970 and 1994, 85 to 95% of total aldicarb was used on cotton.
- Organic cotton farmers eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in every step of the growing process by emphasizing natural and biological methods which do not harm the environment.
For what I hope is a comprehensive (ie long) discussion on "The Cotton Question", click here. Or for a flavour of what is involved, check out the following:
Read this and other stories in Deadly Chemicals in Cotton which you can download from this site (PDF File, page 17).
Cotton Country
Sustainable Cotton Project -- Consumers
Also: Cotton ad rapped over "sustainable" claim
Read how organic cotton (and other) farming is actually helping farmers:
Return to Organic Cotton
Br. Paul's Organic Cotton and Vegetable Farm
Organic Farmer Who Values His Freedom
Above All
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Why not paper tissue?
- On average, each person in the UK consumes 198 kg of paper and board per year. Tissue paper cannot be recycled for hygienic reasons.
- More than 6 million trees are felled each year in North America just for tissue products.
For more information about paper tissue see:
Tissue is an issue for nature
On buying the wrong tissue paper
Learn how ancient forests
are being destroyed
Loss of biodiversity threatens livelihoods of world's poorest
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Why not plastics?
- Introduced just over 30 years ago, plastic bag consumption rate is now estimated at well over 500,000,000,000 (that’s 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute.
- Eight billion plastic bags are handed out in the UK each year – or over 134 for every one of us. (Some sources quote the total number given out as 13 billion, 17 billion and 17.5 billion. The numbers are, uhm, plastic.)
- Once brought into existence single-use bags accumulate and persist on our planet for up to 1,000 years - but nobody really knows for sure.
- Only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled.
- Dioxins are produced when plastics are incinerated.
- Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.
- The average person uses each plastic bag for only 12 minutes.
- Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime.
For a comprehensive (ie long) discussion on "The Plastic Bag", click here. Shorter bits of information also in:
The plastic bag problem
Plastics Factsheet
The numbers ... believe it or not
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Why not AZO dyes?
The organic cotton string bags, hankies and gift bags sold on this site are either un-dyed (in natural grown cotton colours) or dyed only with non-AZO dyes. When placed alongside non-organic fabrics and wrapping paper, these items might appear dull, but there are good reasons for this. The following websites explain why:
Going Back to Natural Dyes
Azo dyes could be banned from skin contact Source: www.edie.net
A report on sustainable development in China Do a word search using the "binoculars" and "binoculars arrow" sign for "AZO" to take you to relevant pages.
While our own exposure to AZO dyes on our clothes and accessories might not have long-term harmful effects (but who knows?), workers who are forced to use these dyes in factories are not always so well protected. We hope that our rejection of AZO-dyes will contribute towards worker welfare in the long run.
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Why not paper wrapper?
Did you know that:
- 8,000 tonnes of paper or 40,000 trees are used to make wrapping paper – for Christmas presents alone?
- It is estimated that as much as 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in UK rubbish bins, enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey – over Christmas alone?
- Cotton and other fabric gift bags can be reused many times over?
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For more eco-information
www.ecozine.co.uk

And our very own www.eco-ethical.co.uk where "thinking aloud ... is allowed".
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Eco-Shopping Links
If you run an organic, ethical, sustainable business and would like to exchange links, please email.
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Shopping Directories / Portals
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Gadgets and Tools that care for the environment
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Shoes
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Good quality shoes from a company that advocates 'care and repair' rather than 'cheap and dispose'. Not suitable for vegetarians and vegans. |
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Shops (Textiles/Clothes/General)
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Shops (Baby)
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ecobaby.co.uk |
A shopping site to provide caring parents with a wide choice of natural pregnancy, baby and child toiletries. |
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Shops (Toys)
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Family business Tish Tash Toys offer a wonderful range of toys which include eco-friendly suppliers. They have chosen Selecta toys because they use native woods from forests in Germany - where every tree felled is re-planted and sell Pintoy goods which are made from replenishable Thai rubberwood. New mail order catalogue out now! |
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Solar-powered toys. What a great idea! |
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Shops (Skincare)
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The very best hand-picked selection of Natural, Organic Skincare and Related Products on the internet.
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Organic Food Delivery Services
Fieldfare Organic & Natural Ltd. |
Established in 1993 and Soil Association registered, we are a family-run organic home delivery service covering most of Herts/Beds and Bucks and London. We also sell a wide range of other organic products ranging from nappies to pet food.
www.fieldfare-organics.com |
| Organics 4U |
Organic Veg Boxes Fruit and Vegetables Delivery Save time and money by purchasing your Organic Fruit and Vegetables via our Organic Veg Boxes scheme. We deliver to most of UK.
www.organics-4u.co.uk |
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Hankies |
String Bags |
Babies/Children |
Gift Wrapper Bags |
Face/Bath/Kitchen |
Special Offers
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