Why Organic Cotton?

The thought of ‘organic cotton’ is confusing to many of us. It has taken a lot longer to catch on because the benefits are not that obvious. We don’t eat cotton fiber, but like the organic foods movement commencing 20­ years ago, more people today are becoming knowledgeable that the move to organic cotton is just as important as the move to organically produced foods.

Cotton is one of the most widely grown crops in the world with traditional  growing methods being one of the most chemical-­intensive crops.  The chemicals used are among the most toxic chemicals and fertilisersas classified by the Environmental Protection Agency. These chemicals used have tremendous impact on the earth’s water, soil and delicate eco systems, not to mention the health of people in cotton-growing areas

The problem is magnified in developing countries with the destroying of land and thousands of farmers die from exposure to the chemicals every year.

So what is “organic cotton”?

It is Cotton that is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on mother earth.  Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third­-party certification organisations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production. The cotton is grown without the use of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, government regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed in organic farming.

So who in Australia is using “organic cotton”?

The team at Airborne Magazine got searching for Australian manufacturers that specialise in organic cotton.  They found that OCC Apparel is one of the leading Australian based manufacturers in this field and we applaud them for this. They use Australian made Certton organic cotton fabric and their customers love this.

Since 2004 they have focused their energy on providing customers with the world’s finest organic jersey knits whilst maintaining their core company belief of supporting only true sustainable and ethical practices.

Certton fabric has a highly regarded reputation in the as a premium knitted jersey fabric using 100% organic certified yarn, dyestuffs, and manufacturing processes conducted in Australia.

Certton provides the garment industry with a certified organic fabric that boasts luxury texture and maintains high quality. This is achieved by working with a motivated team who is driven by innovation, high quality expectations and their personal passion for fine organic cotton fabric.

Certton have a range of hand selected colours in stock which are specially finished to ensure we are providing the world with the best organic jersey knit.  They also offer custom colour matching, yardage printing, digital printed and bespoke knitting programs.

About OCC Apparel

OCC Apparelis Australia’s leading ethical fashion apparel manufacturer, wholesaler and supplier for organic, sustainable and ethically accredited high quality apparel items. Established in 2004 by two best mates, the company stocks the largest range of organic cotton, Australian merino and bamboo blend knit fabrics, plus has access to the largest range of organic cotton and recycled finished garments from stock including Earth Positive, Stanley Stella, Fair Share and Salvage.

The company is extremely proud to manufacture their own in-house brand Certton, Australia’s biggest selling 100% organic cotton, Australian made tee shirt. An expert in all decoration techniques OCC Apparel is proud to be a trusted user of Permaset printing inks. The company also supplies, decorates and re labels the world’s best t-shirt brands including AS Colour and American Apparel.

OCC Apparel has its own cut, make trim (CMT), StyleCad pattern, grading, marking and sewing factory in Sydney and has a highly experienced team of apparel experts that assist their clients and the world’s best apparel brands with style development and production management both in Australia and Internationally via our OCC Apparel Green Star vertical ethical apparel supply chain.

Learn more about OCC Apparel and their range of organic cotton garments by visiting their website here: www.occapparel.com.au