What is organic cotton and how is it grown?

Organic cotton is cotton that has been grown for at least three years without chemical pesticides, defoliants, or fertilizers. Natural fertilizers and fertilizing techniques are used instead, including compost, manure, naturally derived mineral and plant fertilizers, and crop rotation. Third-party certification organizations verify that organic producers employ only approved natural methods and materials in organic production

How should organic cotton be labelled in the United States?

Labelling requirements for organic fibers are as follows:

●Organic" - at least 95% of the ingredients must be organic.

●Made With" – 70 to 95% of the ingredients must be organic.

●Below 70 %"- US allows identification of organic ingredients on the information panel in products

containing 50% or more organic ingredients.

●Percent organic declarations in the US are not mandatory.

●Transition to organic" - is not allowed.

DYES FOR PROTEIN FIBERS

Protein  fibers  are  the  most  readily  dyed  fibers due  to  the  numerous reactive   functional  groups   present. They  can be  dyed  with  a  wide range of dyes under acid, neutral, or  slightly  basic conditions. Since the  keratin fibers   are  less  crystalline  and    oriented than  secreted fibers such  as  silk, they  tend   to dye  more  rapidly   and  more  readily to deeper shades.  

Under  acid  conditions  amino  groups  in  the  protein  fibers  are protonated  to  form  NH; groups.  In  this   form,  they  are  able   to  attract   dyes containing    acid  anions   including  acid,  direct, mordant,  and  reactive    dyes. Special    premetallized   acid   dyes  of  sufficient  solubility are used   to  dye protein   fibers   to  fast  colors.  The  functional  groups available in  protein fibers   are  more  reactive  than  hydroxyl   groups  in  cellulosic   fibers.Reactive dyes of  more  1imited  reactivity  have  been   developed  especially  for protein fibers. Protein  fibers  complex  very  readily  with   multivalent metal cations.  Acid  dyes  and  mordant  dyes  may  be rendered  very  fast  by  mordanting  with  metal  salts,  and  chromium  salts  are  especially effective    as  mordants. At  neutral  or  sl ightly  acid  pH,  protein    fibers   may  be  dyed   with cationic  or  basic  dyes;  however,  the  fastness  of  the  dyed   fiber   is  poor without  mordanting  with tannic acid  or  other   mordants    for  cationic  dyes. Azoic and  vat  dyes  find  only  limited use  on  protein   fibers   due  to  the  damaging   effect   that   basic   solutions  of  these  dyes   have   on  protein  fibers. Sulfate  esters   of  reduced    vat  dyes can  be  used   effectively  on  protein fibers, however. Natural  dyes  from   many  sources  have good  affinity for protein    fibers  and   are  used  extensively  in  the crafts area and often in conjunction  with mordants.