I love the idea of green undies. I suppose it’s because they are the one article of clothing closest to our skin, and when one reads all this awful stuff about how these ordinary products are actually treated with scary chemicals and made under dodgy conditions, it makes sense to be extra careful.

So when I found out that Marks and Spencer, one of my favourite brands of undies since I was a child, had built what is probably the world’s most eco-friendly factory in Thurulie (not far from the capital, Colombo), Sri Lanka, I was excited and pleased.  It’s amazingly a 100 per cent carbon neutral, 100 per cent green, 100 per cent ethical factory – in a lush, green, tropical setting that looks more like the latest eco-friendly boutique hotel rather than a factory. Apparently, after seeing Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, M & S chairman Sir Stuart Rose made a plan to actually do something about climate change through his business, creating a “5-point 100 step initiative” which involves things as simple as reducing plastic bags and hangers to building amazing factories like this.

The undies are very reasonably priced too. Like the “Per Una” Organic briefs above (panties) which range from £2.00 – £6.00 or under $12. Bras are no more than about £15 or $30.