The survival of our species is dependent on the survival of bees, yet we have seen a 60% world wide population decline since 1947. The US began using synthetic pesticides in the 1930s and became wide spread after World War II and by 1950, pesticides were found to increase farm yields far beyond pre-World War II levels and we became heavily dependent on synthetic pesticides moving forward.
23 more of the world’s most renowned clothing and textile companies, including Burberry, Adidas, Kathmandu and Timberland have pledged to use 100% sustainable cotton by 2025.
The reason that we started Opok was because we learned that these synthetic materials can be detrimental to our health, let alone devastate our environment. We have heard feedback that people are unaware that polyester, the most widely used material in clothing, can be toxic given that it’s in everything. So we did our research and here are our findings.
The world has failed to meet a single target to stem the destruction of wildlife and life-sustaining ecosystems in the last decade, according to a devastating new report from the UN on the state of nature.
Within the last few years, several companies have become massively successful for creating wearable comfortable materials by spinning recycled plastic bottles with cotton or other poly materials. On the surface, this sounds incredible. Single use plastic is horrible for the environment and developing a technology to turn it into a multi-use product and hopefully keep it out of our waters and landfills is a mission that a lot of humans have gotten behind. But, studies show that this material might be doing more harm than good.
We took 2 years exploring different natural and sustainable fabrics to determine which materials we would consider using for our products. We ultimately decided on organic cotton because of its soft texture, the lack of chemicals that go into processing, and the sustainability aspect. Below are some of the materials we evaluated and reasons why we passed on them.
With warming air and water, as well as increasing rainfall amounts, climate change is making algae blooms more frequent, widespread, and longer in duration. Treating an algae bloom is often difficult and expensive, costing the city millions of dollars a year to deal with stormwater improvements.
We had a chance to sit down with Marc Richard, M.D., and Mike Richard, M.D., and get their take on the link between pesticides, synthetic chemicals, and human health. Not only are they prestigious doctors with a lot to say— they’re also identical twins like us!
Consumers can demand change by supporting organic products. Certifications like USDA organic foods and GOTS organic fabrics ensure that there were no pesticides used to create these products. Pesticides linger on your fruits and vegetables no matter how much you scrub them. They cling to fabric even after you wash your clothes 50 times. They find their way into your body, causing innumerable health risks. Whether you’re driven by your care for the environment, or for your own health, supporting organic practices is the way to go.
Opok is named to Forbes Summer Hot List. They joins Pact and Native, two companies who have a similar mission to us, as well as famous brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Giorgio Armani to name a few.
Opok is an organic men's boxer brief company focused on helping people live healthier lives though their clothing.
Traditional clothing is often constructed and treated with chemicals that help soften them or prevent them from getting stained or wrinkled. Those chemicals have been linked to adverse health effects such as skin irritation, developmental issues, and even cancer. Opok Organic Boxer Briefs don't have any of those nasty chemicals.
We had the opportunity to sit down with water polo legend Wolf Wigo. Wolf won 2 national championships at Stanford University and went on to play professionally in Greece as well as represented team USA for 3 olympics. Anyone who knows him knows that he is super into health, especially in living a toxic free organic lifestyle.
Ocean photographer, Joseph Yerkovich speaks with Opok about his experience photographing nature and pesticide runoff. Opok is a men's organic clothing company that sells boxer briefs without all the nasty chemicals.
Organic clothing is just as important as organic food. Learn about all the toxics that go in to traditional clothing production.
