Have you ever wondered whats in your organic baby gifts and products?

Do you ever consider what chemicals might lurk in the fabric when you pull out a crisp new vest or sleepsuit to put on your baby? Or do you think about the working conditions of the people who harvested the cotton? Well, an increasing number of parents are beginning to do just that. In the same way that our desire for pesticide-free fruit and vegetables has encouraged supermarkets to offer organic produce, so consumer pressure is beginning to persuade Baby Dumplin to stock clothes from fairly traded and organic fabrics.

Organic fabrics

Organic fabrics are materials which have been made with a minimum use of chemicals and with minimum damage to the environment. This includes chemicals used during every step in the manufacturing process, from growing cotton, to the dying and finishing of the fabric.

Why Support Organic Baby Products and Gifts?

The fashion industry has an enormous impact on the environment.

Many of the clothes we wear today are made from synthetic materials such as nylon and polyester. Nylon and polyester are made from petrochemicals, which are very polluting to the environment and contribute to global warming. They are also non-biodegradable, which means they don't break down easily and so are difficult to dispose of. In order to manufacture nylon, nitrous oxide is released as part of the process. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas that is 310 times stronger than carbon dioxide!

Natural fibres have their problems too. Cotton uses more pesticide per plant than almost any other crop in the world. This has serious impacts, causing illness and even death amongst cotton farmers who are exposed to dangerous pesticides every day. These pesticides also affect local eco-systems, killing certain plants and animals and causing an imbalance.

The chemicals used to grow cotton remain in the fabric and are released during the lifetime of the garments so they affect people wearing clothes too.

Organic cotton is grown without the use of chemical pesticides and insecticides. Apart from damaging health and the environment - these are also very expensive for farmers - so if they can be cut out of the process, everybody gains.

Organic cotton garments are often also free from chlorine bleaches and synthetic dyes.

Natural dyes are made from plants, vegetables, and roots. A wide variety of colourfast pigments can be achieved in this way.

Click here to view our range of organic baby gifts