The CCB is an independent agency that contributes to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choices. The CCB published Guidance on Labeling Textile Articles Derived from Bamboo to assist the textile supply chain to deal with new compliance in Canada.

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Committed to ethically responsible practices for the health and well being of people and the planet, Indika Organics also tries to educate people to the impact that they and others have when making consumer choices. In the production of their fabrics they use plant and vegetable dyes as well as low impact dyes, talking the talk and walking the walk.

They offer several collections of organic fabrics.

The Environmental Sheeting Collection is 100% organic fabric and ranges from bold to minimal patterns. The Malabar Collection offers hemp and hemp/silk blends as well as flax/silk blends, many are rich jewel tone prints.

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Cameron prints on two types of fabrics: a cotton/linen blend printed with environmentally friendly inks, and a new hemp/organic cotton blend. The cotton/linen blend isn’t as green as we usually look for in the Fabulous Fabrics series, but Cameron is definitely making efforts to green her fabrics and we respect that. It isn’t always easy or possible to green everything overnight!

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i-merino is about three years old, but a recent discovery to many. It may be the most sustainable performance activewear fabric on the planet. i-merino is the brainchild of a fourth-generation merino wool grower and first-generation snow boarder, Australian cofounder Stuart Adams. As a devotee of numerous sport and physical activities, Stuart experienced first hand the superior performance characteristics and comfort of merino wool. Merino is a renewable resource where a new fleece grows on the sheep’s back every year. The wool is obtained without harm to the animal. From farm to fabric, the process is fully tracked and certified, so you are guaranteed the wool passes stringent environmental, social and quality controls.

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Common production from plant to fabric is not as green as eco-minded people would like. Michael Lackman of LotusOrganics.com contributes to an impressive blog his family originated. He shares some interesting facts from extensive research.

Scrutiny is gaining attention because heavy and toxic chemicals are typically utilized to process bamboo into fabric. The alternative to chemical is mechanical processing. The mechanical method means crushing the woody parts of the bamboo plant followed by natural enzymes to break the walls into a mushy mass so that the natural fibers can be combed out and spun into yarn. This is essentially the same eco-friendly manufacturing method used to develop flax or hemp linen.

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Oliveira Textiles is a new kid on the block when it comes to organic fabrics. Their first fabrics, called the Ocean Collection, came out just last September. The Press section of their website shows that people are definitely noticing. Domino, At Home, Design New England, and Home and Garden magazines have already covered them. So have websites Design Sponge, Treehugger, decor8, ecofabulous, Salon, and more.

So what’s all the fuss about? Three fabrics - Wavelength, Shell Game, and Anemone - which are each available in three colorways. They’re all twill fabrics suitable for home decorating, made of hemp, organic cotton, or a blend. Printing is done with water-based non-toxic inks.

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Conventional cotton production alone makes up about 25% of the world's insecticide use and 10% of all pesticide use. That's a lot of toxic chemicals for one industry that not only affects the farmers and workers who grow the cotton, but those pesticides also get into the air, soils and ground water contaminating wildlife and potentially the food supply.

According to the Organic Trade Association:

Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture.

With the demand for organic cotton on the rise, those pesticide numbers could change but it might take a while considering organics represents just 0.03% of worldwide cotton production. The United States, Turkey and India are the top three producers of organic cotton.

So next time you're cruising the aisles for t-shirts or sheets see if there's an organic cotton option. You might be surprised to find it in places you'd least expect it like The Gap, Target and at Wal-Mart. The more organic cotton purchased will send signals to cotton producers that people do want to see more organic options available.

More on cotton production:
Organic Trade Association
Pesticide Action Network North America
Sustainable Cotton Project

Here's several companies with organic cotton options featured by GO's Victoria E:

Green Style Spotlight: Maggie's Functional Organics
Green Style Spotlight: Kate Quinn Organics
Green Style Spotlight: Jonano
Green Style Spotlight: Certified Jeans
Green Style Spotlight: bgreen
Green Style Spotlight: Yoga, Tribe and Culture
Green Style Spotlight: Belle & Dean
Green Style Spotlight: American Apparel
Green Style Spotlight: Wildlife Works

More related information from GO:

Fair Trade: Environment
Eco-Friendly Yarns Promote Greener Knitting Projects
Tip o' the Day: Kitting the Way
The Green Options Interview: Andy Ruben of Wal-Mart
Fashion & Apparel