Growing cotton and processing cotton consists of the following steps:
Growing Cotton: Cotton is one of the most chemical intensive crops,it contaminates soil and ground water and requires intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides.
Processing Cotton :Involves bleaching, dyeing, mercerizing, anti-felt finishing, water proofing, silk weighing. Auxiliary agents, Washing or reuse, contaminated effluents, synthetic dyes are not bio-degradable, biodiabolic and 40% remains as waste. Heavy metals like cr, cu, cd enters the food chain: released by clothing, when worn and is absorbed by the skin,detergents, solvents. When you wear cotton, you also wear toxins.
Jute processing includes:
Retting -Leads to water pollution, air Pollution. Has an adverse effect on biota (e.g. fish culture). Microbes, Organic Acids, methane Gas, High water demand.
Batching -Requires use of batching oil,which leads to contaminated product / content, odor, toxic effluents, not suitable for food products.
Bleaching - Requires of chemicals,which leads to contaminated Effluents/ Water.
Air Pollution - Releases particles/fiber dust, airborne toxic metals and microbes. Affects workers Health (Bisniosis).
Are these processes environment friendly or are they adversely impacting the environment?
25-Aug-05 
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