What's the difference between Organic, Natural, Sustainable products?

Author: Tracy Richardson

Difference between Organic, Natural, Sustainable products

Current awareness of the people finds more consumers demanding Organic and Natural products. As a result, more designers and manufacturers of clothes are producing 'Green Clothes'. Green it means product must be eco friendly.Manufacturers adhering to green practices are eliminating toxins from production cycle, which are moving into the environment and this way they are improving air quality.Producers who care about green practices they're not contaminating our water and soil with post-production toxins. Eco friendly producers providing better quality products for our bodies and our health. They reduce synthetic products and synthetic components used in clothing production. Designers are searching for organic and natural materials to use in anything from clothing to home goods.

Today's advertisements you can watch in TV or on the roads they are laden with terms such as Organic, Natural and Sustainable. So what is the difference between each of these?

Organic products, organic clothes

Organic means that something what we use is derived from living organisms. If something we call as organic products it means that grown with natural pesticides and fertilizers, consuming less energy and less fuel and emitting less toxic gases. Organic products actually have a lower carbon footprint. Natural and organic clothing and accessories are made using raw materials such as organic cotton and organic wool. Organic cotton then refers to cotton produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Production of organic cotton may include the use of fertilizers or pesticides that are plant or animal in origin. Organic wool must follow worlds standards for organic livestock production. These standards include use of certified organic feeds, use of good management practices to maintain livestock health and adherence to the natural carrying capacity of grazing lands. Genetic engineering, synthetic hormones and pesticides, whether internal, external or on pastures, is prohibited.

Natural

Natural, as the opposite of artificial, means existing in or formed by nature. Lanolin, for example, is a greasy yellow natural substance found on wool. Natural lanolin serves as a base for cosmetic products such as ointments and hand creams. Recent trends show a boom in the natural cosmetic and personal care products industry. Consumers are finding the availability of more products made from natural ingredients such as citrus, honey, flowers, herbs, natural oils and so on. To keep a production process organic manufacturers are using natural dyes for colour in fabrics. The majority of natural dyes are vegetable in nature made from plant sources such as roots, berries, bark, leaves and wood, but can also be derived from clays and minerals.

Sustainable

Sustainable refers to something that can maintain its own viability in a short amount of time allowing for its continual use. Hemp is a quick growing robust plant that grows in diverse soil conditions. As one of the fastest growing plants in the world Hemp also has a high yield ratio and it requires no herbicides or pesticides to grow. Hemp Clothing has become very popular especially with recent eco-friendly processes that soften the fibres. Another popular sustainable material is Bamboo. Bamboo is a highly renewable grass used for anything from clothing to furniture and kitchenware. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on the earth growing as much as 3 to 4 feet per day. Once planted and establish the intricate underground network of rhizomes keeps spreading making bamboo an extremely sustainable plant.

Organic products

Now when you know what's the difference between Organic, Natural, Sustainable products you can reasonably decide which product to buy.You too can do something to protect our climate and natural environment by finding clothing made from Organic Cotton or Organic Wool. Find personal care products comprised of Natural ingredients like essential oils or plant extracts and home products made from Sustainable materials such as bamboo.Thank you for your reasonable choice.