Sustainable Hair Ties: Review of Kooshoo Scrunchies

I had no idea what goes behind the production of hair ties. Until the brand, Kooshoo gave me some beautiful products to use that are: plastic-free, made from organic cotton & natural tree rubber and support fair trade work ethics.

From their "Sustainability Page," I learned SO much about conventional hair ties, and let me tell ya, it's quite hairy.

Cotton

Did you know that cotton farming uses toxic pesticides & synthetic materials from petrochemicals? There are more acres of cotton than any other crop; as it covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land & uses 16% of the world's insecticides! Majority of this Cotton is picked by hand from workers in developing countries, increasing their exposure to poisoning.

Kooshoo Organic Cotton

Kooshoo hair products use organic cotton that is fair trade and harvested by workers who are paid a living wage in safe conditions. Organic cotton is grown without insecticides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers ~ it sadly only accounts for 0.93% of global cotton.

Plastic

Conventional hair ties are made from synthetic "rubber" ~ this is petrochemically derived plastic. It uses non-renewable petroleum extracted from crude oil to release toxic chemicals to all lifeforms, contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gases emissions. By now, we know that plastic doesn't truly biodegrade by taking hundreds of years to break down & after that, it leaves a trail of micro-plastics behind.

Every hair tie you've ever owned is alive & well, and will ultimately outlive you!!

Plastic-free Kooshoo uses natural tree rubber from fair trade rubber plantations. Due to rubber being extruded at extremely high heat, the elasticity takes about 2-10 years to return to the earth. The rubber trees are FSC (forest stewardship council) certified & the fair trade premiums go towards funding a free hospital that caters to the surrounding village.

Litter

Big hair tie industries pack 20, 50, to 100 hair ties in a pack ~ each tie valued at only pennies. This indicates cheap labor and synthetic rubber (aka plastic) that was involved in the process. The results are promoting a culture of loss and disposal, which ultimately means more litter!

Kooshoo Breakdown

Kooshoo hair ties are made from plant materials, so eventually they will break down. You can place them in your garbage. Unfortunately, the ties cannot be recycled since recycling facilities won't accept their mixed ingredient makeup. However, you can put them in your home compost or vermicompost! You can even cut them up to speed up the biodegradation process.

Dyes

Conventional hair ties contain toxic chemicals that poison the soil and waterways. 200,000 tons of dye end up in the environment, yearly. Dye impacts the skin by removing layers & can cause health problems, as well as leave carcinogenic remnants in drinking water.

Low-Impact Dyes Kooshoo uses low-impact dyes that don't contain toxic chemicals or harmful substances. They even require less water during the dye process. The dyes used are certified by OEKO-TEK standard.

Fair Trade

Kooshoo's production is overseas. However, they ensure facilities are certified and audited regularly with FairTrade and Global Organic Textile Accreditation.

FairTrade guarantees better prices, working conditions and a fairer deal to farmers and workers in countries where commodities are from. Its approach is to enable these workers to have more control over their lives and decide how to invest in their future. Fairtrade supports businesses and governments to do better by connecting their shoppers with the people who produce their goods.

Global Organic Textile Accreditation (GOTS) is founded by organizations that are rooted in organic agriculture and food. They promote "organic" products, processing standards for organic textiles and harmonizing standards so they are internationally recognized.

Kooshoo's cut & sew facility is owned and operated by nuns in Tamil Nadu, India. These nuns run a social good enterprise where profits are used to fund humanitarian causes; for instance, a cancer treatment centre for those without access in the state of Kerala.

How our items are produced, matters! Consider getting some Kooshoo products in your hair.