How much can you trust labels on organic textiles and toys?

by Natalie Southgate

Misleading labelling
Whilst organic food is very strictly and extremely well regulated in the UK, not enough is being done to highlight the fact that this, unfortunately, is not the case for non-food products.  Under current legislation, manufacturers are able to get away with describing non-food products as “organic” even if they contain only a tiny percentage of an organic "ingredient".  Beauty and textiles products are amongst the most common culprits for exploiting this legal loophole.  

As consumers, it would be reasonable for us to expect that a product claiming to be organic would contain a high proportion of organic elements, assuming that laws were in place to protect us from misleading packaging.  With this assumption in their minds, most people who opt to buy such a product, would expect and accept paying more, in the belief that they were making a more eco-friendly and healthier choice.  

Not only does this type of irresponsible marketing coax us into buying products we might not otherwise buy, but in cases such as these, the argument in favour of choosing organic becomes seriously undermined.  This is exactly the sort of opportunity that organic sceptics pounce on, in order to denounce “organic” as a fad lacking any real benefits and as a deceptive means of commanding an unjustifiable premium.  

Organic textiles
“Organic” fabrics are sometimes described as such when, in fact, there is no evidence to support this claim.  Hemp and bamboo are not automatically organic, simply because they are hemp and bamboo!  These are fabrics which are rapidly growing in popularity, as they are a very sustainable resource and require few, if any, chemicals as crops.  However, the chemicals most commonly used to extract and harvest the fibrous strands from these plants are extremely undesirable substances, which are certainly not eco-friendly and wouldn't meet organic standards.  

Furthermore, with clothing and other textile products such as soft toys becoming more readily available, it's worth questioning what proportion of an organic fabric is actually used.  This information is often simply not available on the labelling.  I recently looked at buying an organic cotton school blouse in Tesco's organic schoolwear range, but nothing on the labelling mentioned what percentage of organic cotton was used and whether the organic claim was supported by any organic certification.  It's possible that it was certified and 100% organic cotton, but these are expensive attributes, which you'd expect to be very prominently stated on the labelling, if they were applicable.  In the absence of this clarification, my inclination would be to think that it was a blend of conventional and uncertified organic cotton – but if so, in what proportions?

Recognised organic certification of any genre of product does prove that a product has met organic standards.  Organic testing can be very costly for manufacturers, so generally, if certification has been attained, the likelihood is that they - and retailers - will make a point of stating this, so it's worth looking out for.  Certification is the only real way for a company to prove their products’ organic legitimacy.  For non-food organic items, this isn't a compulsory or a legal requirement but many reputable companies who can afford it are now moving towards attaining official certification to support their organic statements - and will be keen to tell you if their products are certified!

In balance, it should be mentioned that uncertified products are in some instances genuinely produced to organic standards but for smaller producers, the often very high cost of certification can prove to be prohibitive for them.

Oeko-tex testing
Nowadays, Oeko-tex certification (sometimes referred to as Oko-tex) is commonly found accompanying "eco-textiles", but this certification can also cause confusion.  It doesn't actually represent an organic standard and fabric which has passed Oeko-tex testing doesn't demonstrate that the fabric has been organically grown or produced.  It merely confirms that there are no residues of harmful substances in the fabric at the time of testing.  Therefore, conventionally grown cotton can achieve successful Oeko-tex certification, despite having been bombarded as a crop with toxic pesticides, chemicals and synthetic fertilisers, etc.  Quite simply, aggressive washing removes any the residues from the cotton fabric prior to testing.  

Often, organic cotton is also Oeko-tex certified, but it's only its organic certification that shows that it hasn't been grown with any of the "nasties" which cause such a detrimental impact on the environment, the cotton workers and widespread surrounding communities.

Contaminants
The concept of working in harmony with the environment and with nature is at the heart of organic principles, but there are other factors to consider before an item reaches the end of its production.  In the case of textiles, fibres and fabrics which have been successfully certified organic could become contaminated during various manufacturing processes, post organic testing.  That is to say, a certified fabric's organic integrity could be compromised by the introduction of harsh or harmful chemicals if used in further stages of manufacture, such as whitening, dyeing or finishing processes.  However, products can also be tested after they have undergone these processes, proving that organic standards have been maintained throughout production, thereby providing the ultimate reassurance. 

GOTS (Global Organic Textiles Standard) testing sets one of the highest organic standards and this certifying body can be commissioned to test at any stage of manufacturing – including certification for an “end product” when all of the processes are completed.  

In order to eliminate the unnecessary use of bleaches, dyes, colour fasting agents and other chemicals, manufacturers are increasingly launching organic cotton products which are naturally coloured by fibres from the brown, green and white varieties of the cotton plant.  This is becoming a favoured choice for baby clothing, nursery bedding and soft toys.  Using cotton fibres from naturally coloured plants to introduce safe, chemical-free hues is especially beneficial for babies and children, given their ultra-sensitive skin and immature systems, not to mention babies' tendency to explore everything with their mouths!

Retailers' descriptions
In frequently presenting their goods with written descriptions, on-line retailers tend to have practical opportunities to provide better transparency for their customers.  It's worth noting though, when as manufacturers describe their toys with ambiguity, retailers might also make false assumptions and consequently false claims to their customers.  An example of this is a manufacturer describing an organic toy with an outer fabric made with 100% organic cotton.  By then referring to the filling as "natural, unprocessed cotton" (which is in fact cotton grown conventionally, which has had a cocktail of harmful substances used at its crop stage), it has been known for some retailers to then incorrectly assume and claim that the cotton filling is also organic.

To establish definitively if a product meets the claims, ask questions about the composition of specific parts of the product - and ask for evidence of certification.

Outlook
Organic lobby groups in the UK are campaigning for stricter regulation of non-food products to close the existing loophole and are starting to see small steps in the right direction.  However, this is proving to be a painstakingly slow process and it may well be beyond the foreseeable future before significant progress is made in this respect.  

With organic clothing now finally infiltrating mainstream fashion, it's all the more important to know how to be sure that your hard-earned cash is actually buying what you think it is.

In the meantime, it's worth checking for products' organic proportions as well as being cautious of organic claims which aren't supported by organic certification.

The Organic Toy Company
Right from its conception, it was always our intention at The Organic Toy Company to address the issues detailed here.  We had quickly realised what a huge can of worms we'd opened, when researching organic textiles.  We felt a responsibility to use our website to raise awareness of the environmental horrors caused by conventional cotton farming and the ethical aspects of its unacceptable cost to human life.  

All of the toys in our range have a minimum of certified 100% organically grown cotton or organic wool as the main outer fabric.  Each toy's description states where the organic fibres were grown and where the toy was made, with the vast majority being in Europe.  The toys' descriptions also state which organic body/bodies awarded the textiles' certification (copies of which are available on request).  You'll also find clear information about any dyeing, finishing processes, etc that were used (if used, they're all eco-friendly).  Of course, we also make sure our customers know exactly what filling is used!  

As parents of three children who have all suffered with eczema virtually since birth, we felt other parents would want to know about the purity and benefits of organic soft toys.  We wanted to offer the most substantial range of these toys but crucially, it had to be without any of the ambiguity and with complete honesty about each toy's organic composition.