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Greening your closet

The Organic Trade Association says that cotton uses 25 percent of the world's insecticides, which just in 2003, meant about 55 million tons were sprayed. So, clothing made from traditional materials, with common cultivating methods, is not always the ideal choice when it comes to protecting the planet.

You can make choices that transform an ordinary closet into an environmentally friendly one.

Here are some:

  • Invest in clothing that lasts longer so you don't have to buy as often.
  • Choose clothing made from environmentally friendly fibers that haven't been grown with the use of pesticides. That means selecting, when possible, clothes made from certified organic cotton, hemp or bamboo.
  • Avoid throwing your used clothing away. Recycle by donating old clothes to charity or thrift stores, or sell them at a garage sale. When it's time to shop, looked for "recycled" clothes first by shopping at thrift stores.
  • Buy clothing that doesn't require dry cleaning, which uses Perc, believed to be a human carcinogen and a hazardous compound in the environment.
  • Choose biodegradable and phosphate-free laundry soap, like those offered by companies like Seventh Generation. Or use natural products for stain removal, such as lemon juice or vinegar, which can pre-treat stains. A quarter cup of baking soda can be used as fabric softener.
  • Air dry clothes when possible and avoid chemical-laden dryer sheets.