So far, for many of us, interest in bioproducts is more of a fashionable manifestation of “health egoism”. But, according to environmentalists, the “new green wave” can really help us save life on Earth.
By the end of 2010, about 30% of the inhabitants of developed countries will become the target audience of the environmental industry. According to Werner F. Schultz, a professor at the University of Hohenheim (Germany), Ph. production, consumption and disposal of which does not harm the environment.
Among the followers of the fashionable international movement LOHAS (a lifestyle focused on health, sustainability and environmental care) * there are many celebrities: Julia Roberts, Gisele Bündchen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt. And, of course, their many fans. True, it is still too early to talk about the spread of a new eco-philosophy: it is rather a fashion trend, an interest in bio-products as the highest form of consumption. Another group of consumers are those for whom natural products are a vital necessity. First of all, these are allergy sufferers, people whose body does not tolerate a number of chemicals used in industrial production. The trend is that the number of consumers of environmentally friendly products «for health reasons» will only increase. That is why eco-production is focused primarily on what we come into close contact with — on products, clothing, cosmetics.
living clothes
Wool, silk and cotton are the most commonly used for organic clothing. There is a set of strict rules governing the production of a product in a controlled organic farm. But to feel the difference between an ordinary cotton T-shirt and a product labeled «100% organic cotton / Bio-Baumwolle kbA», it is enough to imagine cotton as a living organism. The plant breathes, grows, bears fruit. The cotton boll ripens and opens, the person collects the fiber, separating it from the seeds, spins the thread, weaves the cloth. Let’s add some modern realities to this ideal formula: fertilizers and herbicides, a “growth accelerator” for opening unripe boxes, a thread strengthening agent, chlorine bleach, a chemical dye … There is no chemical component in a product made from bio-raw materials. This reduces its potential allergenicity and makes it possible to preserve the wonderful natural properties of the fiber — its lightness, softness, breathability. So, bio-cotton is 3,5 times more hygroscopic than usual.
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Biowool is labeled «100% organic wool / kbT Wolle». This means that it is obtained from sheep from a controlled bio-ecological farm, where the animals are in natural and humane conditions (lack of crowding, free grazing). When cultivating the land, chemistry is not used, antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial additives to feed are not used to grow sheep, mass processing of parasites is not carried out (from which, by the way, animals practically do not suffer if they are properly kept). This is a guarantee that the thing consists of sheared wool (the sheep was not sprayed with a depilator to shed the wool), that the wool was obtained from a living animal, that it was first processed (not recycled). Such wool retains a unique natural property — the ability to repel dirt, self-cleaning. Therefore, clothes made from organic animal fiber can be washed less often — only aired as often as possible.
Biosilk can be recognized by the inscription on the label «100% organic silk / kbT Seide». This means that the silkworms were fed the leaves of biofarmed mulberry trees, and their cocoons are usually larger and the quality of the thread is higher. Burette (not purified from silk glue — sericin) silk is especially recommended for young children and people suffering from allergies, contact dermatitis and eczema, because of its ability to have a beneficial effect on the skin.
Organic food
The advantages of bio-products are obvious to any consumer — this is the healthiest food that can now be found on the shelves. They are free from traces of pesticides, synthetic feed additives and growth regulators, and do not contain GMOs, artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, flavor enhancers or chemical enzymes. But they retain natural qualities: original taste, vitamins, minerals, beneficial microorganisms. A fresh ecological product contains, on average, 50% more valuable substances than a similar one grown in a traditional modern way. The only drawback of bioproducts has always been considered their high price. However, the experience of GötRehn, Ph.D. in economics, has proven that organic food can be available to every customer. The German entrepreneurial economist united several ecological farms, production and specialty stores into a real family of like-minded people — this is how Alnatura** was created. The result was a network of budget eco-supermarkets throughout Germany. In Russia, this is not yet possible: due to the lack of own ecological farms, almost all goods in domestic eco-supermarkets are imported. However, experts are optimistic about the prospects for the development of Russian eco-farms: due to the critical state of agriculture in the past few decades, arable land has remained uncultivated, which has given the soil the opportunity to cleanse itself of chemicals and “rest”.
Ecocosmetics
Organic cosmetics are now appearing more and more. In this palette, there are brands that simply strictly follow all the rules of ecological purity of ingredients, as well as others that put a whole philosophy into products.
For example, in Dr. Hauschka all extracts are made from organic plants, the process of their preparation is the most complicated ritual. The main idea of this cosmetics is to «teach» the skin to be healthy, to be in its best shape without intense stimulation of cellular processes, without deep moisturizers or, on the contrary, dryers, etc.
An important point: if we wash dishes and laundry with synthetic products, this minimizes the benefits of organic food and clothing. The reverse side of strong cleansing properties is aggressiveness, the ability to accumulate in water and soil. An alternative to this is a complete range of biological products for the home, from washing powder to stain remover. Such exotic products as a soap nut for washing colored clothes, a universal orange cleaner that can dissolve even paint, and lanolin for wool restoration (brands Sonett, Almawin and Ecover are top sellers in Europe) will also help.
«Bio», «eco», «natural»
In European countries, ecological products are labeled as «bio» (bio), «eco» (eco), «organic» (organic) and are often accompanied by the word «natural» (natural). These designations are fixed by law. In Russia, organic food products do not have a single name prescribed by law or state quality standards, so the inscription “organic”, “bio” or “eco” on the packaging cannot guarantee the appropriate quality. “Each of us has to decide the issue of trust in this or that producer on our own,” says eco-entrepreneur Anna Gusinskaya-Dikamp. — Search for information, get acquainted with certificates, study labels. The more informed and demanding the consumer is, the more responsible the manufacturer will become. In this sense, the quality of products and goods – that is, by and large, our health and quality of life – is in our hands.”
* www.lohas.com is the site of the international movement Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.
** www.alnatura.de is the website of the association of eco-products manufacturers of the same name.