Vermont Organic Fiber Company - O-Wool Balance

I’ve been noodling on some info I got from the GreenKnitter.  Organic certification of fiber only covers the way that the fiber was grown, not how it was processed.  The USDA established current organic certification, so only the agricultural side of things are covered.  Several groups are working on establishing certification requirements for spinning and dying processes, what happens after the fiber leaves the farm. I couldn’t help but try to find more info, so I started with a yarn from a recent post, and also my current favorite yarn, O-Wool Balance.  The Vermont Organic Fiber Company claims to “utilize the best processing methods, in accordance with the Organic Trade Association’s Fiber Processing Standards.”

Ha! I’m onto something, right?  Well the Organic Trade Association standard are voluntary which is suspicious to me.  As a process engineer, I know how rigorous I was with voluntary requirements.  When you know you will be policed you are much more careful about meeting the standard.  I couldn’t get a copy of the standard, but this FAQ page  says a lot.  I pulled these two key paragraphs that I thought were pertinent.  I’m hoping that Vermont Organic Fiber Company is following an organic processing standard that would make me proud.  I did increase their eco-friendly score a little based on this information.

What do OTA’s organic fiber processing standards cover?
OTA’s organic fiber processing standards, approved January 2004, address all stages of textile processing, from post-harvest handling to wet processing (including bleaching, dyeing, printing), fabrication, product assembly, storage and transportation, pest management, and labeling of finished products. They also include an extensive list of materials permitted for, or prohibited from, use in organic fiber processing under the standards.

What finishing materials are permitted or prohibited, and on what basis?
OTA’s standards permit materials that have been carefully reviewed according to evaluation criteria from the U.S. Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program. The evaluation criteria are designed to minimize negative environmental effects and risks to human health. For example, materials allowed under the standard cannot be known to cause cancer, genetic damage, birth defects or endocrine disruption. In addition, they must be biodegradable and meet strict requirements that which limit toxicity. Examples of materials prohibited by the standards include chlorine bleach, formaldehyde, some azo dyes, and plastisols.