The Eco Friendly Cotton Material

Here's an article that had been written a while ago. I thought I'd pull it out of the archive!

There's a lot of "eco friendly" hype out there. A lot of people are claiming to be eco friendly for a number of different reasons. How are we supposed to know who really is truthful? What makes a material environmentally friendly? In my opinion, I would have to say an green material is one that is not affecting the environment. This means it does not affect the wild life, and it does not affect us, humans, as well.

When I mention the word "materials," I am referring to the fabrics that are used to manufacture all sorts of consumer products such as clothing and accessories, etc.

The differences between materials in regards to them being green depends on how the fabrics are made. One factor that really affects how they are made is where the fabric is manufactured in the world. Fabrics that are made in the USA are typically more environmental-conscious because of the strict regulations and guidelines that the government has imposed on manufacturers. These guidelines include regulations such as the methods and chemicals used during the dying process when the cotton is turned into different colors, as well as the imprinting of the material, which would include chemicals from the inks. Also, there are always chemicals used for clean-up which can be hazardous for the environment. Other countries may have very little or no regulations as to the processes and chemicals used in fabric manufacturing.

Now, to the material. The material is a very large part in consideration of how green a fabric actually is. In my opinion, cotton fabric is the most eco friendly material out there. Just a few reasons why I believe cotton to be the most environmentally friendly material:

Natural Fiber
Cotton is a naturally growing fiber. There is no need to mix chemicals to make a plastic. Cotton is already readily available in our environment. So, why not use it as a natural resource? We are actually using a natural resource that can be grown and harvested to manufacture fabrics

Reusable
After the fabric is manufactured and sewn into the final product, it can be reused over and over again because it is a durable material. For example, cotton in your clothing is a very comfortable cloth, and you probably will wear a cotton shirt hundreds of times before it wears out. Another example is cotton bags. Bags can be reused over multiple times before ever showing a sign of wear. Plastic bags however have a very limited life-span, and usually once they have been used once, they are thrown away.

Biodegradable
Once someone is finished using this material (typically years after it has been manufactured), the fabric will break down easily to it's original state of waste in the ground.

Cotton is a natural fiber, a reusable fiber, and it is also a biodegradable material. So, in my opinion, cotton is the the greenest fabric available on the market right now. Also, to make the cotton even more eco friendly, it is made in the USA.

Brandon Glenn recommends you visit http://greenbagpromos.com to see all the eco friendly shopping bags.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Glenn