I used to think buying organic cotton bedding was simply an eco-luxe treat. I knew about the pesticides used with producing standard cotton, but I didn't think too much of it (especially because my wardrobe consists entirely of non-organic cotton pieces.) And as my mom would say, we've lived all these years without organic cotton and turned out fine. What I now know: buying organic cotton is more of a human rights issue. There's an ugly side to cotton, just like the human suffering connected with winter tomatoes that I discovered after talking to Slow Food's Josh Viertel. I had a nice long chat with Carrie, the designer behind Raksha Bella Organic bedding, and she shared an honest look at why she went the route of organic cotton for her lovely bedding line.
What helped compel you to go organic with your bedding line?
Vandana Shiva is the mother of eco-feminism. She’s the reason we buy organic cotton. She was the one that started stepping out and fighting against Bt cotton seeds. It’s about basic human rights. The movement that she generated helped support organic farming in India.
How do you define bedding that’s green?
The green word has been stretched. If it’s certified organic [GOTS], then it has my alignment. And you want to know where the cotton is grown and where it is from.
Does it cost more to make organic bedding?
Absolutely. It’s my number one problem. But it’s turning a corner. We’re at this edge where there’s going to be enough of a demand, and that’s going to help bring the costs down. When the big-box companies buy big minimums, costs will go down. When it goes to the masses, that will help the little guys because it’s generating awareness. The smaller organic bedding companies are not necessarily just putting out simple white plain sheets either — they can be more creative. Because we’re small enough, we can offer hand-blocked organic cotton that’s custom made. And my company employs women coming out of poverty. We bring it to the human level with sustainability — not just organic this, that, and the other, but how do we support the human system. The movement that we saw with Slow Food asked what about fair trade and what about workers. You want to look beyond the fabric to the cutting and sewing. Certified organic fabric is cut and sewn and printed through the GOTS certification.
When it comes to peaches, people choose organic to avoid the pesticides. Why splurge on organic sheets?
The chemicals used to finish commercial cotton are intense — they're harder on the environment but create a soft finish. You're sleeping with pesticides. Choosing organic cotton bedding means you're choosing to sleep on a sounder investment. Many people working cotton fields develop cancer — the production of cotton affects workers and water systems. Our cotton is organic from field to barrel. That means that through the process of harvesting and milling cotton, everyone’s paid a fair wage. Our bedding is made in India.
What’s greener, organic cotton or bamboo?
The process of creating bamboo and softening it into fibers takes a lot of energy. I just know that it takes a lot more energy and takes a lot more solvents so there's a larger carbon footprint. I have not seen certified organic bamboo processing.
A special thanks to Carrie for talking organic cotton with me. Be sure to check out the Raksha Bella Organic bedding line. It's organic cotton bedding you can feel good about — and the patterns are gorgeous to boot.
And here a few other organic cotton bedding lines that I love.
Les Indiennes
Plover Organic
Rubie Green
{top photographs courtesy of raksha bella organic}
{green swap photograph by charlotte jenks lewis}
what's green swap? find out more here
