The environment is on all of our minds these days, so it’s not surprising that so many companies are touting organic, eco-friendly products. Unfortunately, some of these claims are misleading at best.

Some of the most unscrupulous offenders may simply place an “organic” label on the shirt, without specifying that only a small portion of the materials used — sometimes 15% or less — are actually organic. If you want clothing that is truly environmentally friendly, it’s important to look for items made from hemp or cotton and labeled “100% organic.”

Even when the material is confirmed to be safe for the environment, some companies still mislead customers by proudly proclaiming that their T-shirts are organic without specifying what kind of paint is used to create the images, or how eco-friendly their screen printing process truly is. Organic materials cost more, so some companies try to make up that expense in areas that are difficult to verify.

The paints traditionally used in screen-printing, for example, contain polyvinyl chloride. Better known as PVC, this substance is widely accepted as the most toxic plastic in existence. Simply manufacturing this type of ink releases carcinogens and other harmful chemicals into the environment, and PVC is just as toxic to wear as it is to produce. When you wear clothes printed with these environmentally unfriendly materials, you are in close proximity to volatile compounds. They are released into the air you breathe, and continue to contaminate the water system each time you do laundry.

Another danger of the traditional screen printing process comes from the method of printing. Machine printing techniques may save companies time and money, but the cost to the environment in the energy used to power this equipment is dire. The only truly environmentally friendly way to screen print T-shirts is to do so manually using 100% organic materials, water-based ink and biodegradable cleaning products.

When purchasing screen-printed clothing, watch for the warning signs of misleading marketing ploys, and verify that the process is truly environmentally friendly from start to finish.

Scrappy Apparel Company offers a wide variety of organic apparel and sets the standard when using water based inks.