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Baby wear goes organic More parents are opting for organic baby clothing made of fabrics that contain no toxic chemicals

The Young Reporter (2010, December), 43(03), pp. 15.
Author: Jack Aung Min Khin, Claire Chu, Judith Ki, Liting Yong. Editor: Andy Au Yeung, Brian Law, Laura Luo, John Xian.
Permanent URL - https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/bujspa/purl.php?&did=bujspa0007600

Baby clothes always look cute through shop windows. Mothers can never resist popping into the stores just to take a look at the latest baby fashion.

And some opt for safer materials rather than trendy designs, explaining why organic baby clothing is making a hit in the city. Ms Mak Hoi-shan, 33, is a new mother who is careful about what she puts on her baby.

“I normally wash new clothes before dressing my child, because you know, the bacteria on clothes can harm their skin,” she said. “Buying organic clothes for babies is also a way to better protect their skin.”

Cotton fabric is used frequently in making organic clothes. Cotton clothing labelled as “organic” means the cotton used is free of pesticides. Instead, organic farmers use natural predators and intercropping to control pests, and use special machinery to control weeds.

In conventional cotton farming, toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilisers are used. Cotton occupies 2.5 per cent of farmlands in the world, and takes up 25 per cent of pesticides and ten per cent of fertilisers of global consumption.

Pesticides are designed to damage the biological systems of insects that are similar in other animals and humans. They can be hazardous to human health.

Aldicarb, the second-best-selling insecticide used for cotton growing, can kill a person if one drop is absorbed through the skin. Statistics show that in the 1990s, almost half of the cotton workers in the world had symptoms that were related to pesticide exposure.

“Because cotton is inedible, farmers seldom worry about the toxic chemicals and add even more to the soil,” said Prof Jonathan Wong Woon-chung, director of Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre.

To provide an alternative to contaminated clothing by pesticides, Ms Joyce Ip Yuen-chi, started her organic baby wear store, “Organic Baby”, three years ago.

“Babies are a key factor for bringing organic clothing into daily life”, Ms Ip said. “If you had a baby who crawls across everywhere and chews whatever he reaches, you would worry about the toxic chemicals around.”

But organic baby wear buyers are restricted to middle-class and educated mums who are aware of the organic concept, says Ms Rainbow Yuen Wai-ping, marketing director of global organic baby wear company Natures Purest.

“The rich even buy a full-set: beddings, blankets, toys and outfits for all occasions,” said Ms Yuen.

The design of most organic baby clothes are plain and not very colourful.

“Till now, mums do not find it hard to accept the scarce choice of colours, knowing the benefits of organic cotton to their kids,” said Ms Yuen.

But Ms Ip worries that with fewer designs available, it is difficult to develop a bigger market for organic baby wear.

“I would love to see organic clothing becoming the main trend, but it is hardly possible,” said Ms Ip. “The designs that can be solely made of organic cotton are very limited.”

“In the fashion industry, big brands dominate by fancy designs that inevitably involve toxic paints and dyes. Consumers cannot figure them out.”

A dilemma arises as rising demand for organic baby wear means the clothes have to be more fashionable. But to remain chemical-free, organic clothing must come with fewer varieties of designs and colours.

Faced with the situation, Ms Ip upholds her mission to sell non-toxic clothes.

“Colours are surely less attractive due to the limited selection of natural dyes made of soil, water and plants. But the most important thing is to remain toxic-free and chemical-free,” said Ms Ip.

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