Jane's been paying a lot of attention to the environment lately. In doing so, she's discovered some interesting things about the fabrics with which her clothing is made. You see, Jane's a natural fiber kind of gal. But she recently learned that traditional cotton ranks second only to corn as the world's most polluting agricultural product. It takes approximately one-third of a pound of chemicals to grow enough cotton to make just one T-shirt. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is grown in pesticide-free and herbicide-free soil, using organic farming methods. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers use only allowable methods and materials. So, when Jane is on the lookout for cotton couture, she'll now be looking for the organic label.
Jane's also learned that even polyester can be green if its source comes courtesy of Mother Nature. It sounds like an oxymoron, but there are man-made natural fibers. Take, for example, Tencel. It's made from the cellulose in wood pulp which is harvested from tree-farmed trees. Highly wrinkle-resistant, Tencel is mainly used to make dresses, pants, jeans, and coats.
The other way polyester can be "green" is if it's made from recycled products. And that's where Wyndham comes in. By 2010, every employee of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts will be clad in ecologically-friendly uniforms made from recycled polyester fibers spun from plastic beverage bottles. If it sounds like a Project Runway challenge, well, it's not. But Jane still says "Bravo" to Wyndham for stepping up to the eco-fashion plate.
Wyndham will unveil two different collections during the course of the next year. Trend is an urban line with solid and pinstripe styles. The color palette will be made up of dark and light blue with red accents. The Fresh Air collection is designed for Wyndham's resort locations. It features nature-inspired earth tones like brown, coral, yellow and celery.
The fashion show will start next year, when front desk and other customer-facing employees will be required to wear the new green garb. Housekeeping and other back-of-house staff will be uniformed green by 2010.
Now, you may ask, just how does one make material from plastic bottles? Well, Jane wouldn't recommend trying this procedure at home, but she will fill you in on some trade secrets. Wyndham's material is made from various post-consumer products, including recycled plastic beverage bottles. Said products are processed into flakes and then into filaments that are spun into yarn. Ultimately, the yarn is woven into reams of fabric.
Not only does the recycling keep plastic out of landfills, but the material itself does not require professional laundering. This minimizes the use of toxic chemicals used for dry cleaning.
While you, dear reader, may not have access to clothing made out of plastic bottles anytime soon (unless you become a model on Project Runway), you too can clean green. First, avoid buying clothing with "dry clean only" labels. These days, most items, including silk and wool, can be hand-washed. Second, use eco-friendly detergents, fabric softeners and stain removers. Also, avoid chlorine bleach and use "oxygen bleaches" instead. Finally, consider washing in cold water only. This practice will result in considerable energy savings.
