UK school’s uniform is made from polyester and is teflon coated now. It is full of toxic chemicals. Polyester is not comfortable against the skin and isn’t sweat absorbent; it doesn’t allow the skin to breathe properly, trapping the heat, which can trigger rashes and cause or aggravate skin conditions, such as eczema. Worse still, according to the book ‘Killer Clothes’ by Anna Maria Clement and Brian R. Clement, many polyester school uniforms are “coated with a family of chemicals called PFCs that give fabrics stain resistance and the ‘noniron’ wrinkle resistance often found in school trousers and skirts. These perfluorinated compounds have been classified as probable cancer-causative agents by the EPA”, (page 67). The more these clothes are worn and washed, the higher the chance of chemicals migrating from the fabric and becoming particles that can be absorbed or inhaled by children.
The book quotes Dr. Richard Dixon, head of the environmental group WWF Scotland, as saying: “Without knowing it, parents are exposing their children to toxic chemicals in clothing that could have serious future consequences for their health and the environment. Children are usually more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals than adults, so the presence of these substances in school clothing is particularly alarming”, (page 67). And things are getting worse. According to a 5th June 2005 article in Business Week, the population that is allergic to chemicals will grow to 60 percent by the year 2020.
As a material, polyester is also highly flammable. Government legislation in many countries necessitates the addition of a flame-retardant ensuring the clothing is self-extinguishing when exposed to heat or flames. In the past, a flame-retardant chemical called brominated Tris has been used for this purpose on children’s clothes – tests have revealed it to be a human carcinogen, and hence it’s been banned from use. Today a new generation of flame retardants are used on synthetic materials which are bonded into the fabric, and chemical companies have started to “hide their identity by taking advantage of laws to protect patents from infringement by competitors”, (Killer Clothes, page 64).
Polyester and polycotton blend garments are also know to cause static electricity, so when you touch a car door, a metal shopping trolley, or even another person, you get an electric shock. Probably not the sort of occurrence you’d like your kids to experience every day in science class!
Our kids have to attend school from 8am to 4pm every day. They wear chemical-laden clothes and I believe that they feel very uncomfortable. The uniform is not only toxic, it is poor quality and overpriced. Here is the tartan tunic for our school, for example: www.schoolwear-uk.com/…/3794_tartan-tunic-langley-pr…. It is made from 65% polyester and 35% viscose, and the prices begin at £32.50 as indicated on the page. Here is the blazer: www.schoolwear-uk.com/…/3782_girls-blazer-langley-pr…. It’s made from polyester and prices begin at £70.00. I do not buy this uniform. I sew it myself (see photos) using pure cotton and wool or buy from online shops like this www.ecooutfitters.co.uk or this www.nigelsecostore.com/…/Organic_School_Uniforms.html. And this is twice cheaper for me than to buy plastic clothes from the school shop! I wish other parents would do this too. Keep your kids safe.
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Children's health
School uniform
5 replies
holltona · 23/08/2015 13:17
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