What's New at Wazoodle
What's New
It takes time, effort, and skill. Every step along the process is a conscious choice to do the best you can, otherwise, why bother making anything? It’s cheaper and easier to buy fast fashion, so why do you make clothes instead?
It’s because you care.
You care about the quality and comfort of the clothes you wear or sell. You care about the skill and time it takes to create something with your own hands. If you care about the act of sewing and the quality of the end product, you can’t overlook the importance of the quality of your starting materials. You’re participating in the great act of creation, so why not give yourself the very best materials to build with?
When looking to buy fabric for your projects, you may run into a lot of the same issues you would face when buying fast fashion. Most fabric on the market is poor quality, uncomfortable, thin, or otherwise cheaply made, but aside from these problems with durability, there are many more serious issues with modern fabrics of which you may be unaware.
Detrimental to the environment and to our health, chemicals play a large role in pollution and waste in the textile industry and increase health risks in individuals. In general, chemicals can lead to skin irritation, allergies, and digestive problems, but some specific chemicals and additives used in the manufacturing of fabric and clothing have even more serious side effects.
Latex: One of the most common causes of clothing-related allergies is latex. While latex is a natural substance, it can also be chemically produced and is often blended with other fibers in fabric. Those who have a sensitivity to latex can experience rashes, skin irritation, and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. Continued exposure to latex only causes the allergy to become more severe, so complete avoidance is suggested.
BPA: While it is often added to polyester to improve its lifespan and reduce static, BPA and its use carry risks that far outweigh the benefits. BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical that can be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream within minutes of contact. It has been linked to developmental disorders, mental illness, and reproductive issues. It even has been associated with prostate and breast cancer. Buying clothing and fabric of natural fibers greatly reduces the risk of contact with BPA.
Heavy metals: Lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium, and other heavy metals are often used during the dyeing process for vibrancy and longevity of color. However, these metals can enter the body through the skin, collect in the liver or kidney, and cause health problems.
PFOS and PFOA: Chemical substances that are frequently utilized as a stain-resistant coating for fabric, PFOS and PFOA are highly dangerous substances linked to cancer and thyroid diseases, among other illnesses. They are restricted by the EPA, and while they can no longer be produced in the United States, many foreign manufacturers still use them. Because of this, PFOS and PFOA can still make their way into American homes through various means.
So now that you’re reasonably wary of these common chemical treatments used in mainstream fabric production, we at Wazoodle hasten to assure you that we are committed to producing fabric that is safe for you and for the environment. We are always striving toward a cleaner future, employing innovative techniques and keeping abreast of cutting-edge textile manufacturing technologies to create products that we can stand by. We use NO heavy metals, latex, BPA, or PFOS and PFOA in our products. Our manufacturing processes reduce our carbon footprint and chemical waste and, just as importantly, create a product that will be healthy for you to use, whether for making your own clothes or selling to others who care just as much about the chemicals entering their bodies as you do.
Chemical treatments aren’t the only factor to consider when choosing fabric for your projects, however.
You’ve probably heard the statistics: 85% of textiles end up in landfills. Fashion production is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. Approximately 20% of wastewater pollution is due to the fashion industry. One element that is often overlooked, however, is that shipping fibers overseas to be turned into fabric or clothing and then shipping them back is itself a source of waste. Transport emissions make up approximately 3% of the world’s total emissions, and 1 cargo ship is estimated to produce the same emissions as 50 million vehicles. With the US being the world’s second-largest producer of cotton, why waste so much energy sending our materials overseas to be manufactured and then returned?
While the American textile industry is far from perfect, it still beats the top foreign manufacturers when it comes to environmental regulations. The US uses less fossil fuel in manufacturing than its top two competitors, China and Mexico. Wazoodle produces 100% American-made fabric. When you buy our products, you can rest assured that every opportunity to reduce waste was taken. We hold ourselves to even higher standards than the industry requires, partnering with initiatives driven to improve the industry’s manufacturing processes to reduce waste.
If it’s not good for the Earth, it’s not good for you. The large amounts of harmful chemicals used in textile mass manufacturing practices are linked to many serious health conditions and are greatly responsible for much of the global water pollution. We are determined to do our part to reduce these risks. On top of adding to the American economy, we are reducing our carbon footprint by taking foreign production out of the picture. Our integrated supply chain ensures that we and our partners are all on the same page from start to finish with one goal in mind: create a product of the highest quality for the health of our customers and our Earth.