Pssttt, Pass the Cotton?

The Problem: Our Cotton’s Innocence is No More

 

The Problem: Our Cotton’s Innocence is No More

Cotton embodies a beautiful essence of Earth, white, soft and as innocent as a white cotton t-shirt on a summer day, however the darker side of our cotton is often forgotten about, or not thought about at all. Conventionally grown cotton covers 2.5% of Earth’s agricultural land, and makes up 7% of all pesticides, and 16% of insecticides used worldwide (Siegle, 2016). Growing traditional cotton accounts for 69% of the water footprint of textile fibre production, contributing to water scarcity in areas typically already suffering from water scarcity (Smithers, 2019). Cotton cause soil degradation and accounts for high amounts of water pollution. Our manufacturing process are high energy users and neglect the welfare of employees. 

Significant environmental benefits have been achieved from the transition of conventionally grown cotton, to that of organic and sustainable cotton. 

Reduced emissions that occur from fields, such as from the use of fertilizer have reduced acidification of land and water by 70%, reduce water consumption through better irrigation by 91%, and has seen energy usage decrease 62% by saving on the production of fertilizer and equipment needed on farms (About Organic Cotton, 2020). Sustainable and organic agricultural practices in cotton, save 92.5 million kg of CO2 from entering our atmosphere, which would have contributed to increased Green House Gases, furthering global warming (About Organic Cotton, 2020). Sustainable organic farming, contributes to soil health, increasing its ability to intake carbon for nutrients. Textile Exchange, conducted a Sustainability Assessment, quantifying social and economic impacts of sustainably grown cotton, seeing 65% of producers having Fair Trade or decent work policies, 88% of producers growing additional crops for additional income such as through regenerative agriculture, 96% of farmers able to grow crops for their own use, and finally 84% of farmers seeing community improvements (Textile Exchange, 2020). 

I wouldn’t roll around in a field of pesticides, or drain precision resources from a community – my clothing shouldn’t reflect that!

Sustainably grown cotton’s future looks like this:

See what sustainable cotton looks like in person: https://vimeo.com/281808086

What We Can Do: 

Making smart decisions as a consumer and purchasing clothing that has been grown sustainably and manufactured in environmentally conscious ways, can drastically reduce the effects cotton clothing has on the environment and better support those who grow and process cotton. 

Have you never thought of the impact your clothing has on the environment? Use this link to see how much you reduce your impact by buying organic cotton: http://aboutorganiccotton.org

5 Steps You Can Take:

1. Look for logos that indicate the fabric is made of organic cotton, or has been certified sustainable 
2. Find out where your cotton clothing is being manufactured and in what social and environmental conditions, understand the impact your clothing has on other parts of the world. Use the app Good on You, to find out ratings on your favourite clothing brand. 
3. Support companies that are transparent about their supply chain, and advocate other companies to do the same such as Reformation, Picture, Organic Basic. Check out Canada’s own Simon’s for their Vision line of up clothing, offering many environmentally responsible styles and options.
4. Skip new cotton all together, and opt for used products, trade clothing with friends.
5. Avoid fast fashion, and purchase pieces that will last long, and you will like over a long period of time. 

My Commitment: 

I am committed to purchasing clothing that is grown in the highest sustainability standards, by recognizing that my sustainable fashion look has a bigger impact than the complements I might get. I will do this by limiting what I buy to things I need, and items that are timeless in style. Knowing my clothing isn’t making a mark on the environment it is grown in, and only a statement on the streets is a success to me!

 

References: 

About Organic Cotton. (2020). Organic cotton environmental benefits – LCA data and savings. Retrieved February, 2021, from http://aboutorganiccotton.org/environmental-benefits/

Textile Exchange. (2020). About us. Retrieved February, 2021, from https://textileexchange.org/about-us/

Siegle, L. (2016, February 22). The eco guide to CLEANER cotton. Retrieved February, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/feb/22/eco-guide-to-cleaner-cotton

Smithers, R. (2019, October 01). Cotton on: The staggering potential of switching to organic clothes. Retrieved February, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/oct/01/cotton-on-the-staggering-potential-of-switching-to-organic-clothes

Images from About Organic Cotton. (2020). Organic cotton environmental benefits – LCA data and savings. Retrieved February, 2021, from http://aboutorganiccotton.org/environmental-benefits/