Saturday, February 28, 2009

Organic Cotton (balls)


You may have heard of organic cotton.  You may have just assumed that there was organic cotton because these days it seems you can find organic anything you want.  And you would be right (I think) and organic cotton is a good thing for lots of reasons.  If you want a whole fancy list with percentages and numbers, look here.  But the long and short of it is that traditional growing of cotton requires pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that leak into the soil and the water, not to mention the cotton that you then use/wear.  So we got it right, organic cotton=good.

Ok, right.  But like most things organic, it costs a little (in this case sometimes a lot) more to get organic cotton, especially in "bigger" items like clothing.  My family, a lot of families, are not in the place right now to pay that kind of money.  So we still choose to buy most things second hand if possible to cut down our carbon footprint there.

But I have found a small way that I can contribute to the organic cotton industry and make a vote with the money I do have to spend, organic cotton balls.  Y'all have seen how I love using cotton balls for freshening the air.  Well, apparently I've been sucking up too many of the bad boys because last week I ran out.  

So I went on the prowl for some organic cotton balls and here's what I found.  You can get organic cotton balls (which I swear are softer!) for only a little bit more (within .50 cents) than traditional toxic cotton balls.  Now I know even .50 cents is a stretch for some people right now, but I was excited to take advantage of this small way to make a difference.  

The most prevalent brand I found was Organic Essentials which can be found at all of the major online retailers, so you can shop around for your best price and remember to buy in bulk as needed to save shipping impact (and cost).  I got mine at Iherb though because I found this handy coupon for $5 off your first order with them (coupon code: BEV426) which made my organic cotton balls FREE!  Saving $, helping the planet...doesn't get better than that folks!

Have you tried organic cotton (balls)?  Are you a fan?  Have you gone the expensive route?  Was it worth it?  Where are the great deals at?



8 comments:

Unknown said...

that is such a great idea and a wonderful reminder to start small and to do what you can. every tiny little bit helps! have a great weekend!

Mamarazzi said...

fabulous idea!

i need to come here more often. this is quite an educational blog!

thanks for stopping by my place from SITS come again often.

Over Coffee - the green edition said...

Thanks for the great coupon! I will be checking out this site.

Willo said...

Annie-I couldn't have said it better myself!

Mamarazzi-I am glad you like it! Come back anytime! We would love to have you!

Over Coffee-No problem! The coupon should be good on anything for a first time customer.

babies said...

it's hard to find organic fabric around here, but i did get my hands on some organic cotton a couple of times. maybe it was a different weave, but it felt really special in my hands. i love it and will buy it instead of the "regular" whenever it is available.

Anonymous said...

Every litle change counts. Great idea!

I must admit I have mixed feelings about organic cotton. I know it is better than non-organic. However, it still has a relatively big ecological impact in terms of land degradation and water use. I prefer to try and avoid buying anything new made from cotton. Instead I look for second hand or made from recycled material.

BUt I guess this is not really possible withn cotton wool balls?? I cannot even think of a re-useable alternative?

Cheers,
Tricia

Electronic Goose said...

I use organic cotton swabs and they are way expensive--maybe I should try the balls instead. Thanks for the tip!

Bernadette said...

Thanks for the tip. Every little change makes a difference!