Rip Curl goes green

25 April 2006 12:16 GMT / By Chris Hall

Rip Curl is manifesting its commitment to the environment and developing more Earth-friendly products under the Rip Curl Planet label. This summer, the philosophy behind these products can be summed up as: "For the Planet, By the Planet", since it is based on the choice of natural fabrics like linen and bamboo.

Rip Curl presents a 100 per cent organic cotton T-shirt range. Organic cotton is a real alternative to conventional cotton, which is far from being as ecological as it seems.

As a matter of fact, it takes loads of chemicals to grow cotton: 24 per cent of all insecticides and 11 per cent of all pesticides used in the world go on cotton fields. That is 17 teaspoons of chemicals for one T-shirt. They are highly toxic to farmers, pollute soils and rivers and end up in the ocean.

Organic cotton is grown without chemicals. It is softer, stronger and anallergic. It is also harder to source and costs more, but using it instead of conventional cotton is a step further in protecting the environment.

These organic cotton T-shirts (4 for men and 3 for girls) are printed with ecological messages. Moreover, from the sale each T-shirt, Rip Curl gives 3 euros to one of the ecological organisations it supports: Surfrider Foundation Europe, Surfers Against Sewage, Mountain Riders, Summit Foundation. Find out more about their campaigns and Rip Curl’s commitment for the environment on
ripcurl.com/company/planet.