The Organic Trade Association reports that the organic cotton
market grew 22 percent between 1996 and 2000. Patagonia and Nike are working to
encourage the market by purchasing organic cotton for their clothing lines.
Hemp, flax, and nettles are other green fibers, which continue to appear in designer clothing
and home fashions. Clothes are also being
manufactured with safer dyes and from more sustainable substances (such as soda bottles
and corn).
There has been much talk in the consumer press about the poor labor conditions at
textile plants in Third World nations. This has led to ongoing product boycotts and
an activist portion of the market that avoids certain labels.
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