I was contacted by the WAMA company to ask if GoingTrueGreen.com would be interested in trying some of their clothing products made with hemp. WAMA is proud of the sustainable actions they are taking to produce items like underwear. I agreed to evaluate their product and write up our findings in a GoingTrueGreen blog post. In return, WAMA forwarded us three pairs of underwear at no charge and with no stipulations. Here are our findings:
The underwear's composition is 53% hemp, 44% organic cotton and 3% spandex. Throughout our daily testing for a total of three weeks, we found every wear comfortable and breathable. There was no compromise of the waistband's integrity, nor any fading colors. Reported back to me was an observation about the woman's underwear on day one, concerning the sizing. I was told that perhaps the size was running a little big in comparison to various charts and data. Nevertheless, the product was worn comfortably throughout.
Additionally, please note that the different underwear we received was washed each day. The low impact dye used to color the products is one that consumes less water in manufacturing and doesn't have toxic chemicals that are usually used to fix dyes to fabric. Therefore, we found the lack of color transfer very satisfying. The fabric's strength and insignificant shrinkage was impressive. We saw no loss of shape as the products remained durable.
Over the years I have consulted with various people in the textile business. Sadly, many marketing campaigns conduct a "greenwashing" to present a responsible environmental image by leaving out many details. After reviewing the WAMA company and products made by them, I found that they are open with all the efforts they make to be sustainable.
When considering buying more sustainable underwear, having hemp along with organic cotton is a plus, especially to keep microscopic plastic fibers out of our wash water. Price will always come into play and that will always be affected by the supply chain size. Distance between manufacturing and store shelf is considered sustainable by many when within 200 to 250 miles. I myself always ask if the carbon emissions created by shipping across half the planet outweigh the carbon emissions saved in manufacturing. WAMA presents the level of quality Hemp Textiles for reasons to back their production location. Nevertheless, when consumer choices have to be made in the realm of sustainability, all factors must be evaluated.
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
The underwear's composition is 53% hemp, 44% organic cotton and 3% spandex. Throughout our daily testing for a total of three weeks, we found every wear comfortable and breathable. There was no compromise of the waistband's integrity, nor any fading colors. Reported back to me was an observation about the woman's underwear on day one, concerning the sizing. I was told that perhaps the size was running a little big in comparison to various charts and data. Nevertheless, the product was worn comfortably throughout.
Additionally, please note that the different underwear we received was washed each day. The low impact dye used to color the products is one that consumes less water in manufacturing and doesn't have toxic chemicals that are usually used to fix dyes to fabric. Therefore, we found the lack of color transfer very satisfying. The fabric's strength and insignificant shrinkage was impressive. We saw no loss of shape as the products remained durable.
Over the years I have consulted with various people in the textile business. Sadly, many marketing campaigns conduct a "greenwashing" to present a responsible environmental image by leaving out many details. After reviewing the WAMA company and products made by them, I found that they are open with all the efforts they make to be sustainable.
When considering buying more sustainable underwear, having hemp along with organic cotton is a plus, especially to keep microscopic plastic fibers out of our wash water. Price will always come into play and that will always be affected by the supply chain size. Distance between manufacturing and store shelf is considered sustainable by many when within 200 to 250 miles. I myself always ask if the carbon emissions created by shipping across half the planet outweigh the carbon emissions saved in manufacturing. WAMA presents the level of quality Hemp Textiles for reasons to back their production location. Nevertheless, when consumer choices have to be made in the realm of sustainability, all factors must be evaluated.
Bill Lauto, at GoingTrueGreen.com
Environmental Scientist
International Sustainability and Energy Consultant
Contribute your comments!
