THE GREEN HOUSE

What is Organic?

The word “organic” as it pertains to cotton is used to describe the cotton that is grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides or genetically modified organisms (gmo) that contribute to soil contamination and environmental pollutions. It is often regulated by a group of organizations that certify the farmer’s procedure and practices

Some clothing may well be labeled as organic, but the safest way to tell if it is genuinely organic is to make sure it is certified. International organic certification organizations make sure suppliers comply with very strict regulations and standards. Here are the main certifying bodies to look out for: OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association), SKAL (Control Union World Group), Soil Association (UK), USDA organic (USA), Ecocert International (Europe), JOCA (Japan), KRAV (Sweden), NASAA (Australia), BIO-GRO (New Zealand) and COCC (Canada). Certification is a long process and often takes over 1 year for approval. Firstly, the farmers have to wait for 2 years without using any chemicals on their farm to even be considered for certification. The farmer is required to meet strict criteria and standards such as being a specified distance from non-organic farms, pay an annual fee whilst meeting strict criteria and standards based on organic principles. Farmers are also required to undergo random inspection that frequently involves laboratory tests to test for pesticide traces. All of this ensures that the certified product you buy really is organic.

**Greengoods is proudly certified by OCIA (Organic Crop Improvement Association) that is headquartered in the United States of America.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity of maintaining a certain process or state. In an ecological context, sustainability can be defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain ecological processes, functions, biodiversity and productivity into the future. For humans to live sustainably, the Earth's resources must be used at a rate at which they can be replenished.

Planting organic products is a way to increase the earth’s sustainability because the uses of toxic pesticides and fertilizers cause soil contamination and water pollution. Sprayed pesticides reach a destination other than their target species, including non-target species, air, water, bottom sediments, and food potentially contaminating them.

What does it mean to go green?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922; and over 6 billion by 2000. It is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. It means that if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.

However, the world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our limited resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. Living an eco-friendly life does not only mean to live healthily and happily, but also means saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for our children and children.

What can I do to be eco-friendly?

RE-USE
RE-CYCLE
RE-THINK

1. Turn off the lights when you can take advantage of natural light
2. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs
3. Email a document instead of printing a hard copy
4. Read online media
5. Power down your computer
6. Unplug electronic appliances
7. Use digital storage, such as USB drives
8. Send e-cards
9. Download your software
10. Use notebook computers because they use less energy than desktops
11. Use a lunchbox, reusable drink container, cloth napkin and silverware instead of plastic bags, plastic utensils, disposable containers, paper napkins and those brown bags
12. Teleconference, don't travel
13. Get your bank statement electronically
14. Pay bills by credit card instead of mailing out a check
15. Use refillable pens and reuse office supplies
16. Save packing materials
17. Buy products made from recycled material or those that are biodegradable
18. Walk or bike to work
19. Use public transportation options
20. Car pool
21. Drive hybrid cars
22. Say no to A/C or heater
23. Switch to cold water in restroom
24. Use recycled furniture
25. Skip canned fruits and veggies
26. Cut back use of bottled water
27. Buy organic
28. Buy foods produced locally
29. Support 'green' businesses
30. Use digital cameras