What is organic sportswear?

This article is an automatic translation from our Original French blog. This text may contain translation errors. Thank you for your understanding.

ECO-RESPONSIBLE SPORTSWEAR:

 In a world increasingly turned towards the future and the consequences of mankind on the planet, we are now becoming aware of our impact on the environment, and the means to be put in place to guarantee respect for it. This awareness is taking place in various areas: agriculture, behaviour, but also in our daily lives, including clothing. Today, we are seeing the emergence of clothing designed in a fair manner, with organic materials, both for everyday life and for sports, with organic sportswear.

WHAT IS ORGANIC SPORTSWEAR?

 Organic sportswear is a type of clothing that has been manufactured under environmentally friendly conditions and does not contain any substances that may be harmful to health.

Consumers are now looking to adopt a more responsible approach, taking into account their desire to act in a way that respects the planet and the environment. Indeed, recent years have highlighted the consequences of textile manufacturing on the environment: significant greenhouse gas emissions during design; massive use of toxic products that are dangerous for our health and the Earth; social responsibility by taking into account the conditions of workers (accident in Bangladesh in 2013 with the collapse of a textile factory).

Faced with this awareness, consumers are turning to healthier, more ecological and more responsible textile manufacturing.
Manufacturers have therefore taken new measures, and adopted them both in the everyday fashion sector and for clothing intended for sports.

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MANUFACTURING:

Sportswear is manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. The materials chosen are natural materials, such as cotton, hemp, linen or recycled fibres, all grown in an environmentally friendly manner and without damaging their natural environment. For example, cotton will be organically grown and therefore guaranteed not to have been cultivated with the help of chemicals.

The farming of this cotton is also more water-efficient than that used for normal cotton: for a cotton T-shirt, 2500 litres of water will be needed for its manufacture, much less for an organic cotton T-shirt. Soils that have not been contaminated by chemical fertilisers retain water better, and the absence of chemical fertilisers also requires less water. Finally, clothing made from recycled fibres is becoming increasingly common, as recycling allows for the reuse of these materials, and thus reduces water consumption. For example, plastic bottles can be used to design organic sportswear, such as polar jumpers.

Numerous certifications and labels are tending to develop, in order to reassure consumers and sportsmen buying these clothes. One of the best known is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certification, which is awarded to environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing and guarantees that the garments are free of any potentially toxic substances.
A garment with this label will therefore have at least 95% certified organic fibres from organic farming.
Another leading label for organic sportswear is Okeo-Tex, which has been in use since 1992 and aims to guarantee the absence of harmful substances in all stages of processing and manufacturing of clothing.

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS:

Wearing organic sportswear means opting for clothing that has been designed in an ecological way, taking into account respect for the environment, but also for human beings.

The materials used for the manufacture of these garments come from organic farming, guaranteeing natural materials that have not been in contact with chemical fertilisers, substances that are highly harmful to our health. Thus, it is not uncommon to find toxic products in "classic" manufacturing, such as: Heavy metals, such as those used for chemical dyeing, which are highly allergenic. Formaldehyde, known as formaldehyde, used to make fabrics crease-resistant and strong. However, this gas is very harmful to health, and can cause respiratory problems, allergies, and promote the development of cancers, as this compound was classified in 2004 as a "carcinogenic substance for humans" by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Dimethylfumarate, which is used for textile preservation and can cause skin allergies.

With organic sportswear, the risk of allergies or exposure to chemicals is greatly reduced. This is especially important for sportsmen and women, as sports sessions generate sweat, which facilitates the infiltration of possible molecules from toxic substances into our bodies. Sportswear made of organic cotton, for example, protects against this danger. This type of natural material has other important advantages for our skin, allowing it to breathe and guaranteeing a reduced risk of allergies.

Finally, most brands promoting organic clothing also take care of the social conditions of their workers, offering them a decent salary, fixed and limited working hours and conditions that guarantee their safety.

Organic sportswear is therefore a way of adopting and promoting an environmentally friendly manufacturing process, ensuring that the clothing is healthy and safe for our health.