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CRITERIA FOR ECO-FRIENDLY LABEL
PRODUCT-BASED
Pertains to the limits of harmfull chemicals which vary with the intended use of textiles.
Group I-Baby wear
The limits are the lowest (stringent) for the clothes and textiles for babies below age 3.
Group II
Material in direct skin contact, worn next to skin, for example underwear, bed-sheets and night dresses
Group III
Materials not in direct contact with skin.
Textiles worn as second layer dresses, c oats, articles with linings.
Group IV
Furnishings articles and accessories for decorative purpose.
e.g,.table wear,upholstery,curtains,textile flooring and mattresses.
PROCESS BASED
These are recommendations for processes to be avoided such as
1. Bleaching with hypochlorite
2. Use of chlorinated organic compounds as carriers in dyeing of polyester
3. Optimum use of water & energy
Dyestuffs when exhausted on fibre are fixed only to the extend of 50-90%
The un-exhausted dye with chemical impurities contaminate the effluent, hence there is a need to ensure that dyestuff and dye additives that go in to the dyeing process are eco friendly.
Ecological norms for the dye are considered assuming it’s concentration up to 10 % on textiles and 2 % dye diluted to 1:2500 in effluent.
Fastness properties (washing and rubbing dry/wet) of dyes on finished textiles also form part of eco norms considering their possible transfer on the skin.
For several years now, developed and developing countries have forged par¬tnerships around fair trade in textiles. High-street names have also entered the age of sustainable development. Some use organic cotton or hemp; others process fibres without heavy metals or ensure acceptable working conditions. Notable examples include Agnès B, Katherine Hamnett, Timberland and H&M.
Some companies have developed new eco-friendly textiles from algae, soya, milk casein, bamboo, etc. Ingeo, a natu¬ral synthetic fibre made by distilling plant sugar from plant starches such as corn, has made its high-fashion debut thanks to the Italian jean designer Diesel, and soon Versace Sport. Other firms make clothes from natural or recycled mate¬rials. In China, Bambro Textiles works with bamboo fiber, spun from bamboo grown in Yunnan province, to propose a range of household linens in this 100% natural and biodegradable material. Patagonia has been manufacturing flee¬ce sweaters from recycled plastic bottles for several years. The international Clean Clothes campaign urges textile brands and distributors to take concrete and effective measures to improve the very poor working conditions that prevail in clothes and footwear ma¬nufacturing. Since its launch, and thanks to active public interest, this initiative has succeeded in winning companies to its cause.
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