100% Organic with Love
This June we visited our production partner Egedeniz in Izmir again. We are in contact by email and phone almost every week. But from time to time face-to-face meetings are helpful to develop products, discuss complex issues and exchange ideas on a personal level. And since we are in the process of developing a completely new type of shorts, we were very excited to see the first prototypes :-)
Our partner Egedeniz is a strong company in Turkey that has its own organic cotton projects. It has contracted farmers for organic farming and integrates all processes from fiber to yarn and fabric to the manufacture of the finished garments. Their farming programs are GOTS certified to ensure all farming practices are in compliance with EU Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 on the production of agricultural products. All processes from the cotton to the end product are carried out according to the rules of the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) for sustainable textiles.
In addition to the GOTS certification, they are also certified according to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index, which measures and guarantees their performance in relation to ecological and ethical goals.
This means that when you buy organic cotton products from us, you can be sure that they have been produced at every stage of the production process without harming the environment, by people who work under safe conditions and receive a fair wage.
While we were at the factory, the prototypes for the new yarn-dyed shorts were being completed. We had the opportunity to look over the shoulder of one of Egedeniz' skilled workers :-)
Turkey is one of the leading countries in the field of organic cotton. In Turkey, organic production has a long tradition in agriculture. Cotton has been grown organically for many years and Turkey is known as a major exporter of cotton in the world. The main growing areas are in the south-east and extend to the west of Turkey in the Izmir region. All cotton is hand picked and hand finished.
Why do we choose organic cotton for our products?
Conventional cotton uses huge amounts of water. For the production of a single t-shirt, it takes thousands of liters to produce the necessary cotton. Organic cotton uses much less water.
Global consumption of conventional cotton releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, around 220 million tons per year. 1 ton of conventional cotton fibers generates 1.8 tons of CO2e. The damage we and the environment do to ourselves and the environment from growing non-organic cotton is enormous and poses a real threat to us and our planet.
Statistics show that conventional cotton producers use up to 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the world's pesticides in their crops. These chemicals can enter our water systems, food, and livestock, which eventually end up in our bodies as carcinogens and can lead to cancer. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 20,000 people die each year in developing countries as a result of pesticide poisoning.
...By the way: This is an early prototype of the shorts we are developing :-)
Our commitment to organic cotton
We are committed to only using organic cotton in our range. Choosing organic cotton means we do not support the use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms used in the cultivation of conventional cotton. The threat of chemical influences in agricultural production has become so serious that in recent years more and more people have become aware of the need for change. The trend towards greener production methods is being supported by a wide range of stakeholders: organic farmers looking to distance themselves from the overuse of chemicals, forward-thinking companies reorienting themselves under the pressure of stricter regulations and tougher competition, and becoming better informed Consumers demanding more social and environmental responsibility. By the way, that could be you too.
This is part of our partner Egedeniz warehouse in Izmir.
GOTS & HIGG INDEX CERTIFIED
Just because a garment is labeled as green, sustainable or eco-friendly doesn't mean it's ecological. Cotton clothing is only organic if it is certified to an organic cotton standard.
OCS (Organic Content Standard) provides a third party to ensure that the organic content in your clothes can be traced back to the source, while GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) tracks the organic content in your clothes and ensures that it has been processed socially and sustainably .
All our organic cotton is GOTS-certified: This means that it has been approved by the Global Organic Textile Standard, an organization that aims to ensure the validity of organic materials - from the harvest of the raw materials to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing for marking.
A photo from Egedeniz factory in Izmir.