Feature
| CROCHET GREEN
Crochet
he carbon footprint of a yarn is essentially
T
So, just because something is ‘vegan’
the amount of fossil fuels it takes to bring
it from conception to end use. So, wool
doesn’t mean it’s green – acrylic, which
that was grown in your county, spun at
is a petroleum product, is technically
a local water-powered mill and plant-dyed, then sold
“
at a farmers’ market may have a very small carbon
vegan, but not really ‘green’.
GREEN
footprint, but could never be distributed on a wide
scale. On the other hand, an acrylic yarn that is
manufactured in China, dyed with synthetic dyes Low-impact dyes are synthetic ‘acid’ dyes – like a
in Italy, packaged in Massachusetts and then sold in commercial version of Kool-aid dye – that require only
yarn stores in California will have a relatively large heat to set the dye and are low-impact because the
”
carbon footprint. waste water is safe to dispose of in regular municipal
water systems.
Certified Organic Recycled yarns can be made from previously used
Certif_i ed Organic products are some of the easiest to material that’s turned into yarn – think ‘second-time
conf_i dently label as ‘green’. T_h ey have been judged cotton’ or yarn made from recycled pop bottles, or ‘Sari
by an independent third party to be raised without Silk’. T_h ese materials can come from re-used products,
synthetic pesticides or fertilizer. Organically raised f_i bre or they can be manufacturing waste that is repurposed
animals must be feed certif_i ed organic feed, or grazed instead of being discarded. Repurposing is not as green
on organic land. T_h ey must not receive prophylactic as reuse, but it is more environmentally friendly than
antibiotics. In the United States, the USDA certif_i es making yarn out of ‘virgin’ materials.
products as organic, as do many states.
Outside the US, countries usually have their own Vegan v Green
certif_i cation organisations. If a product says ‘organic’ Sustainable implies that the material described does not
but it is not certif_i ed, it’s time to ask questions. With use up or damage the materials or resources used in its
food there are laws against labelling things as ‘organic’ production. However, one person’s idea of sustainable
that aren’t certif_i ed, but such standards do not exist for may be dif_f erent from another’s, depending on their
yarn and fabric. Organic certif_i cation does not refer to own personal values and beliefs.
the production process – the dying and f_i nishing of the Vegan means that no animal products were used in
yarn may use petroleum products or harsh chemicals. the creation of the f_i bre. But just because something
Fair Trade or Fair Labour Practices indicate that is ‘vegan’ doesn’t mean it’s green – acrylic, which is a
the companies who are manufacturing the yarn are petroleum product, is technically vegan, but not really
consciously trying to improve the labour standards ‘green’. On the other hand, if you have customers who
and quality of life of their workers, and the workers’ are looking for vegan yarns, they’ll be watching out for
communities. Right now, only cof_f ee, chocolate and animal f_i bres, dyes made from animal products (like
tea can be certif_i ed Fair Trade, but the term is often cocheneal, which comes from beetles) and silk, which
used by others to describe their intentions. As with comes from silk worms (although some vegans will use
organic, when you hear a company talking about their ‘peace silk’, which is made from the discarded cocoons
fair-trade practices, ask questions and f_i nd out what of naturally deceased silk worms).
they mean by using the term. On the other hand, organic yarns might be more
important to you because organic farming means that
Natural yarns
Bottom • Lorna’s
the use of artif_i cial chemical fertilisers and pesticides
Laces’ lovely
Natural means simply that the f_i bre comes from are severely restricted. organic yarns.
a plant or animal and is not synthetic. T_h e term
‘natural’ is sometimes meant to imply that a product
is environmentally friendly but it has no certif_i ed
standard meaning. Conventional cotton, for instance,
is technically ‘natural’ but uses more toxic chemicals
than any other f_i bre.
Plant-dyed yarns sound self-explanatory – the
materials used for the dye are grown in a garden, right?
Unfortunately, the plants are just the beginning of the
process. If someone using plant dyes does not use non-
toxic mordents (the chemicals that set the dye into the
yarn), then plant dying can be more dangerous than
synthetic dying. You have to ask the dyer to know for
sure what materials they are using.
insidecrochet.co.uk
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IC1.feat.greenfibres.FINAL.indd 13 16/3/09 12:22:48
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