Green Is the New Black: Entrepreneur Sherry Poon on starting an organic clothing brand

In addition to concerns over food, water, and air safety, parents can add one more thing to the list of health hazards: clothing. Rising numbers of people worldwide are suffering from Multiple Chemicals Sensitivities (MCS), a medical condition with symptoms including rashes, allergies, respiratory problems, and difficulty focusing.

“You wouldn’t eat a bowl of fruit drenched in insecticides, so why would you want to cover yourself in clothes doused in chemicals?” asks Sherry Poon, an expat mom and the founder of Shanghai-based organic children’s brand Wobabybasics.

Last December, Greenpeace released a study that found clothing made in two of China’s largest children’s wear factories contained hazardous chemicals. Fibers were found to contain excessive toxic substances including formaldehyde, which is known to cause severe allergic reactions in some children. Formaldehyde is commonly used during shipping to keep clothes from wrinkling or becoming mildewed. Many of the clothes made in these factories are exported to Europe and the US. The Greenpeace report recommends the creation of chemical management regulations for the clothing industry.

Though the situation seems bleak, some companies are doing their part to ensure consumer protection. We speak to Poon about her experience within the rising organic fashion industry and share tips on and how to better protect your family from potentially dangerous chemicals.

The Story of Wobabybasics
Poon, a Canadian expat, started Wobabybasics in 2007. She was frustrated that simple, natural clothes were not available in Shanghai. What started as an exploration of her three passions – design, sustainability, and community development – eventually led her to launch a line of  all natural, cotton children’s clothing. For her, organic was preferable because a child’s skin is five times thinner than that of an adult and thus more susceptible to toxins. “Put those facts together and you have a very dangerous situation,” says Poon.

Poon’s customers have told her that her designs look rather
architectural. Little wonder as her ten years experience as an architect, specializing in sustainable design, inform her aesthetic. Her concept was to create functional pieces with clean shapes and lines that won’t inhibit a child’s active playtime so that “kids can concentrate on being kids.”

These days, the organic clothing market is growing as the number of consumers seeking healthier options is increasing. While her first clients were mainly foreigners, Poon finds that her customers are now equally split between expats and Chinese nationals. “People are realizing the dangers of the overuse of chemicals not only in food, but in the growing and processing of crops like cotton,” she says.

Green Operations
Poon has a holistic and principled approach to business, which includes working only with ethically-run facilities that operate under international labor standards, and using factories with previous experience working with organic textiles. In her research of over 60 factories, she found many operating under fair labor conditions and able to produce third party certificates. “Although the negative stereotype is diminishing, there is still wide-spread concern that sourcing and manufacturing clothing in China is about a desire for cheap labor and that the conditions under which people work are not fair.”

Though finding a factory to accommodate all her specific needs was the most difficult part in starting the company, her saving grace is a small, wholly foreign-owned factory in Qingdao where she can work directly with the owner and its workers, even as the company has grown in production. She maintains that the entire production process is traceable, and appropriate organic and transaction certificates can be produced for each step.

Furthermore, Poon believes in giving back to the local communities she lives in and sources materials from. She supports the local textile sector and artisans, such as a knitting cooperative operated by Catalyst Foundation in which women hand-knit Wobabybasics’ collection of
yak-down garments. “We ensure that each worker is paid fairly, valued for their contribution, and most importantly, encouraged to develop their life skills for career and personal growth,” she says.

For up-and-coming organic brands or for companies looking to become more eco-conscious, Poon suggests making small yet simple changes in business operations by taking into account the entire life cycle of their product or service. “It could be using recycled materials, offering clients a recycling program, or installing a shower at work so staff can bike to work and shower there,” she says.

Poon believes that both companies and customers are becoming more aware of a product’s origins and ethics. With that in mind, she feels companies are eager to market just how eco-conscious they are, sometimes to the point of taking advantage of the customer. It can be tricky for those actively seeking green alternatives to choose wisely. She advises consumers to be aware of their purchasing power and choices.

“Consumers are not powerless,” she says. “It’s important to engage with companies and ask questions about their products and motivations. Request businesses to be accountable for their green statements and actions.”

Tips for Going Green
Shopping organic for every item in your child’s wardrobe isn’t always realistic, so when natural clothing isn’t an option, consider these guidelines:
•Choose light-colored clothing: Light-colored clothing contains fewer chemicals than dark or brightly-colored materials. The latter often contain fixing agents and heavy dyes.
•Wash new clothes before wearing them. Wash again. Repeat: Washington Toxics Coalition is a non-profit corporation that promotes safer products, chemicals, and practices. They advise washing new clothing at least three times before wearing them. They also suggest adding baking soda to the wash cycle to neutralize chemicals in new clothing
•Avoid large or thick prints: The larger and thicker the print or design, the more likely it contains plasticizer, a harmful chemical added to rubbers and resins to increase flexibility.
•Avoid synthetic materials as much as possible: Get into the habit of reading labels. Avoid materials such as rayon, nylon, polyester, acrylic, acetate, or triacetate as much as possible as these synthetic materials tend to have the most chemicals. No-iron and pre-shrunk clothing has also been found to contain cancer causing carcinogens.
•Pick pre-loved clothes: Hand-me-downs and vintage clothes not only make for some great gear, they’re eco-friendly and also a good lesson in sustainability. Suggest a clothing swap party for your child’s next get-together.
•Switch to natural detergent: Environmental pollutants called nonylphenolethoxylates (NPE) are commonly present in most laundry detergents. Though they cost significantly more, check stores like April Gourmet, Jenny Lou’s, or BHG for imported detergent brands with the NPE-free label or check the back of detergent bottles for a list of ingredients.

Source: Washington Toxics Coalition

Toxins by Name
Here are some of the nasty chemicals polluting your family’s clothes.
•Nonylphenolethoxylate  (NPE): A commonly-used
chemical found in many laundry detergents. NPEs are dumped into waterways, polluting the water and sediments, and killing wildlife. NPEs are also used in the dying process at factories and have been found to alter hormone levels.
•Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Healthy Building Network is an organization that advocates sustainability and the use of environmentally friendly building materials and policies. They report that VOCs, in combination with dioxin-producing bleach, are often used by textile industries to make water resistant and stain repellent products. Some VOCs are associated with cancer and damage to the kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Dioxin is the active ingredient for Agent Orange, the toxic chemical spray most notably used as a weapon by the American army during the war in Vietnam.
•P-Phenylenediamine (PPD): This carcinogenic flame retardant is commonly used in bedding and nightwear, and can produce allergic reactions. It’s also used in black clothing and to dye leather.
•Formaldehyde: According to Natural Society, an independent
website that provides news and articles about health and
natural medicine, an investigation in 2012 found that 500 times the recommended safe level of this chemical was found in clothing shipped to brand-name stores in China and Southeast Asia. Formaldehyde exposure is commonly
associated with MCS.

Source: naturalsociety.com and healthybuilding.net

Resources
A growing list of stores in China cater to the increasing demand for natural clothing and products. Below are a few places to shop in-person or online for babies, children, and adults.

Online Stores:
NEEMIC
This Beijing-based fashion collective for women produces organic clothes in timeless styles and muted colors. Shop online at www.neemic.com. To find out more about Founder Hans Galliker, check out When I Grow Up on p40.

FINCH Designs
This Shanghai-based brand uses organic and upcycled (from recycled pastic bottles) materials and fabrics for adult and children’s active wear. Check them out at www.finchdesigns.com.

Tang’roulou
Tangroulou isn’t 100 percent organic, but their clothing is produced locally with natural materials under fair labor conditions. Tang’roulou also has a shop in Sanlitun. Visit their website at www.tangroulou.com.

Shops in Beijing:
Nature Colored 本色棉
Nature Colored offers infant clothing, bed sets, and toys made from organically grown and naturally-colored cotton.
Daily 10am-10pm. L3-35, Indigo Mall, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (186 1842 1423) www.naturecolored.cn 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐提港L3-35

BabyGro Beijing 慧宝
BabyGro Beijing carries Wobabybasics in addition to a number of products using sustainable materials. The store was started and is currently managed by a Beijing expat mom.
Wed-Sunday 10am-5pm. Cathay View Plaza, 2 XiangjiangBeilu, Chaoyang District (8470 1690) www.babygrow.com.cn朝阳区香江北路甲2号观唐广场二期商铺

Counting Sheep Children’s Boutique
Couting Sheep Children’s Boutique provides a range of organic products including laundry detergent and a line of organic toiletries for baby and mom.
1) Sun-Thurs 10am-7pm, Fri-Sat 10am-8pm. 17 GongtiBeilu, Chaoyang District (6417 7622, ask@countingsheepboutique.com) www.countingsheepboutique.com朝阳区工体北路17号（工体北门对面）
+2) Daily 10am-10pm. L3-38, Indigo Mall, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8420 0451) 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐提港L3-38

This article originally appeared on page 63-65 of the August 2014 issue of beijingkids. To find out where to get your free copy, email distribution@truerun.com or view it on Issuu.

Photos: courtesy of Wobabybasics and But Sou Lai