Mockingbird Street works with growers of organic cotton in India to make gorgeously soft, healthy and ethically produced fabrics for our baby products. We hope you'll be encouraged by all these facts and figures below to know that in buying organic cotton we really are making a difference to our world and its people.  

The organic cotton we use is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (or GOTS for short!). This is the world-standard for organic fibres. It includes independent certification of the entire supply chain, meaning that it's not just the fibres that are certified, but the processes and labour that goes to making the finished products, ensuring that workers are looked after too - not just the environment.

What is special about Organic Cotton?

It's better for the producers

Certified organic cotton also means the farmers and manufacturers aren't exposed to toxins, keeping people safer and giving them healthier lives.

For the GOTS certification, organic also means:

  • Free choice of employment by workers,
  • A minimum age requirement for workers (no child labour)
  • Safe & hygienic workplaces
  • Basic minimum wages and work hours per week to satisfy the cost of living
  • And no discrimination or inhumane treatment

It's better for the environment

The pesticides and fertilisers used to farm conventional cotton damage the ecosystem, contaminate water supplies, poison rivers and wildlife, inhibit the soil's fertility and mean the pests build up a resistant to the chemicals used. So each year farmers have to buy more and more chemical to produce the same amount of cotton - increasing the damage to the environment every year (as well as making the crop less profitable for the farmer!).

Organic cotton is grown from non-genetically modified plants and without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. Instead, growers use natural pesticides, such as a mixture of chilli, garlic and soap to keep pests away from the crop without harming the insects and animals that feed on the pests. Growers may also use inter-cropping (growing a different crop in or around the cotton) to keep pests at bay. This promotes biodiversity.

It's better for you

By buying organic cotton you are making a statement that you care about our environment and about other people. You should feel good about that!

But it's not only about feeling good. By using organic cotton for the sheets and quilts your baby touches every day you are avoiding exposing your baby to potentially dangerous chemicals. Test on conventional clothing have revealed residues of pesticides, formaldehyde, fire retardants and toxic dyestuffs. Babies have thinner skin that we adults do, so they're that much more vulnerable to absorbing these nasty substances.

To find out more about GOTS certification visit the GOTS website.