Skip the gory Gore-tex and wander winter wrapped in warm, green alternatives

[Guest guest]

Toxic Gore-tex

 

http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-01-20/goods_ecoholic.php

NOW | JAN 20 - 26, 2005 | VOL. 24 NO. 21

 

Skip the gory Gore-tex and wander winter wrapped in warm, green alternatives

 

Q: Is my Gore-tex gear bad for the environment? And if so, what are the

alternatives?

 

A: Heavy question. The answer is one that most outdoorsy eco heads don't

really want to hear. Yes, this revolutionary high-tech fabric is perfect

for trekking through the Himalayas, throwing yourself down a ski hill or

just wandering across the great concrete plains of Toronto.

Unfortunately, Gore-tex is made from the highly toxic, extremely

persistent group of chemicals called perfluorochemicals (PFCs). Also

used in Teflon, Stainmaster and Scotchgard, PFCs now thoroughly

contaminate our air, water and bloodstreams.

 

W. L. Gore and Associates (the maker of Gore-tex fabric) says that PTFE

(polytetrafluoroethylene, the specific PFC chemical that makes Gore-tex

so special) is so " stable " that your coat's membrane won't leach or

off-gas in landfills. In fact, it won't even decompose. (Whether you see

that as a good thing is another matter.) Sealed into your coat, we're

guessing, the PFCs are probably safer for you (and your canary) than

those in the Scotchgard you spray on your couch or the food you prepare

in a burnt Teflon-coated pan.

 

So should you toss your Gore-tex jacket or boots as quickly as you

should your Teflon pan? All the suspicious health findings to date have

revolved around pans, so I'd wait on the coat front. In the meantime, at

least make good use of it. When it's outlived its usefulness, then send

your garment back to the address on your label, where it's recycled into

frost-resistant switches for the auto industry. For a full list of

products from sporting gear to household goods that contain PFCs, check

out the Environmental Working Group report at

www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/index.php

 

Take note: some of the high-performance alternatives out there might be

just as bad. Polyurethane resin, used to make comparable though cheaper

jackets and shells, creates all kinds of hazardous by-products,

including ozone-depleting methylene chloride during production and

dioxins as a result of incineration. If you need a good warm technical

coat, Patagonia says it has developed its own environmentally friendly

polyester-based version of Gore-tex made with 100 per cent recycled

fabrics. Patagonia's Inferno winter jacket is even lined with

post-consumer recycled soda-bottle fleece ($450 at Higher Ground on Yonge).

 

Patagonia also makes all kinds of polar fleece liners from recycled pop

bottles ($150 to $200 at Higher Ground). If you'd prefer natural

fabrics, the company also makes organic wool sweaters, cardigans and

ponchos (see www.patagonia.com). Organic wool can be more expensive, but

it's worth it since it means the sheep have not been dipped in

pesticides or had a square of their flesh near the tail cut away to

avoid infection, a painful and common process called " mulesing. " And

feel good knowing that 1 per cent of all Patagonia's sales go to

preserving the environment.

 

Sure, down-filled jackets are snug and toasty in blizzards, but they,

too, come with their own animal welfare conundrum. Down is either

purchased as a by-product of the meat industry (with which you may not

want to be associated) or plucked from living birds, causing them

serious distress. If you'd prefer to go synthetic in solidarity with the

birdies of this world, MEC on King West and many stylie " street " brands

like Spiewak use polyester-based polyfill or hypoallergenic Primaloft.

 

A truly dope coat option is made by Hemp Hoodlamb. It's a hooded

all-element jacket that's half hemp, half organic cotton, with smooth

vegan " lamb fur " lining and funky features like a cellphone pocket and

patented paper dispenser (weed not included). It's available at Friendly

Stranger on Queen and the Toronto Hemp Company on Yonge (from $299).

 

Still chilly? Stock up on hard-to-find organic cotton long underwear

bottoms at Grassroots on Yonge or Bloor ($59.99). They also have organic

cotton toques, scarves and hats. Get hemp gloves, scarves and hats at

Toronto Hemp Company and Friendly Stranger. And, of course, recycled

pop-bottle Patagonia fleece accessories can be had at Higher Ground.

 

We've covered footwear before in Ecoholic, but if you're looking for

green ways to keep your feet warm, hemp winter boots made with recycled

tire treads are worth mentioning (Roach-O-Rama on Baldwin from $60 to

$80). And when it comes to waterproofing your footwear (or clothing)

against the elements, you can be sure that all those sprays are bad,

bad, bad for your health and the ozone layer, and waxes are often

petroleum- and/or animal-based. Nikwax, on the other hand, makes

water-based, petroleum- and PFC-free waterproofers that will keep the

sleet or snow from seeping through your winter gear (from $9.99 at MEC

and Europe Bound on King).