Glossary of terms
B
Bamboo Fabric
Bamboo textiles are cloth, yarn, and clothing made out of bamboo fibres. While historically used only for structural elements, such as bustles and the ribs of corsets, in recent years a range of technologies have been developed allowing bamboo fibre to be used in a wide range of textile and fashion applications. Modern bamboo clothing is clothing made from either 100% bamboo yarn or a blend of bamboo and cotton/organic cotton yarn. The bamboo yarn can also be blended with other textile fibres such as hemp or even spandex.
F
Fair Trade
What does fair trade mean? Where are the products made?
Many of our products are made in Australia (t-shirts, recycled and jute bags etc), which increases the manufacturing costs and significantly reduces our profit margins – however, it means that by buying our products you are contributing directly to the Australian economy and good practice in Australian business. Some of our Australian products are certified fair trade. These include our organic t-shirts (Fairtrade certified cotton and FairWear Foundation).
Many of our products are sourced internationally from community projects aimed at creating job opportunities in less developed countries. All of these products have been made in a fair manner, which means that the workers are paid fairly. Some of our overseas products are certified as fair trade and others have not yet acquired certification, but are made in both a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
O
Organic
What does organic mean?
Conventional cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed and chemically reliant industries in the world – it is sprayed with harmful pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Conventional cotton production pollutes our water, air and land and endangers the health of farmers and the local farming community. Some conventional cotton finishes use formaldehyde, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, and harsh chemical dyes. This can cause skin irritations, particularly for babies.
Organic cotton is much cleaner and healthier. The farming and production of organic cotton does not expose our water, air, land or health to these harsh chemicals.
Organic cotton is dyed using environmentally friendly dyes and our prints use water based ink.
To call something “organic”, it must be certified. The organic fabric used in the yogathe range of yogawear is certified by Control Union (formerly SKAL), while the organic fabric used in our range of T-shirts is certified by EKO and the Soil association Orgnaic Standrd. Certification assures you that the product is genuine and has been made to a set and transparent organic standard.
At The Green Shop, if it's not certified organic, we don't call it organic!
