What’s Natural Cotton + Why Does It Matter?

Final Up to date on February 24, 2023

You’ve most likely heard me use the time period “natural cotton” on my web site earlier than. However what’s natural cotton and what manufacturers are using it? 

Primarily, natural cotton is grown utilizing strategies and supplies which have a low influence on the atmosphere. It’s grown with out pesticides or different dangerous supplies. There are a number of manufacturers that make the most of natural cotton, reminiscent of Pact, Patagonia, and Ten Tree. 

Among the hyperlinks on this publish are affiliate hyperlinks; for extra info please see my disclosure coverage.

Natural manufacturing methods replenish and preserve soil fertility, scale back the usage of poisonous and chronic pesticides and fertilizers, and construct biologically various agriculture.  

Right here’s what you should find out about natural manufacturing and the way to buy merchandise that use natural cotton.  

what’s the distinction between cotton and natural cotton? 

The distinction between cotton and natural cotton boils right down to how they had been farmed. Typical cotton comes from genetically modified seeds designed to withstand bugs, however extra pesticides are wanted when bugs develop into stronger.  

Actually, cotton is likely one of the prime 4 genetically modified crops on this planet. It’s additionally thought of the world’s “dirtiest crop” as a result of it requires heavy quantities of poisonous pesticides. These pesticides have poisoned 1000’s of cotton farmers, in addition to pollute the atmosphere. 

An instance of that is Aldicarb, cotton’s second bestselling insecticide, and most acutely toxic to people and wildlife.  

Alidcarb was phased out of the U.S. from 2014-2018 after 16 states reported it of their groundwater. The issue is Aldicarb continues to be utilized in 25 international locations, together with further pesticides and pesticides. 

These are two lists with each pesticides and pesticides used on cotton. It’s clear utilizing properly over 14 chemical substances on one crop can result in a number of environmental and human well being issues. 

Pesticides are designed to intrude with organic methods. They are often breathed in by means of the air, or drunk in contaminated water.  

Cotton is a water-intensive crop. However chemical substances sprayed on the plant will combine with water runoff. This results in groundwater contamination. To offer you an thought of how water-hungry cotton is, it takes 2,500 liters of water to provide one t-shirt. 

However natural cotton is grown in a manner that doesn’t require the usage of pesticides or different dangerous chemical substances. Natural cotton doesn’t use genetically modified seeds and it requires 91% much less water than its typical counterpart. It’s liable for a lot much less water air pollution, too. 

is natural cotton higher than 100% cotton? 

Sure, natural cotton is best than something labeled merely “100% cotton” as a result of it’s extra sustainable. Something labeled merely “100% cotton” will be from GMO seeds and be farmed with sturdy pesticide utilization. 

Nevertheless, natural cotton makes use of no pesticides, pesticides, or harsh fertilizers and chemical substances. It additionally makes use of much less water, preserves soil high quality and limits soil erosion. This helps create extra regenerative farming practices.  

Right here’s how natural cotton is farmed: 

• Rising cowl crops (this helps shield the soil when not in use) 
• Making use of natural fertilizers and compost (there’s no harsh chemical substances in these, and compost helps preserve the soil wholesome) 
• Instead of pesticides, copper sulfate and insecticidal cleaning soap could also be used 
• Utilizing useful bugs (as an alternative of driving all of them away with pesticides, although pure pesticides like neem oil could also be used) 
• Incorporating crop rotation strategies (so it’s not a monoculture and the land will get again some vitamins that had been depleted when cotton alone grew in that spot) 
• Choosing human labor for weed management (as an alternative of spraying pesticides) 

what’s the issue with typical farming?

Natural cotton farming strategies assist assist soil fertility and improve biodiversity. This is essential contemplating some consultants suspect that Earth will run out of usable topsoil inside 60 years, on account of unsustainable farming practices.  

When topsoil erodes, the vitamins crops want go along with it, making it tougher for soil to retailer water and assist plant development. Farmers can lose 50 to 70 % of their yield potential due to the lack of topsoil.

Bugs are additionally dying off at alarming charges, and this is because of our reliance on pesticides utilized in farming, habitat loss, and local weather change.  

In response to Nat Geo, yearly, the variety of bugs flying over, crawling on, or burrowing in some elements of the planet drops by a proportion level or two. Which means areas of extreme decline might lose as a lot as a lot as a 3rd of all their bugs in 20 years. 

This harms our soil and meals manufacturing as a result of so many vegetation depend on useful bugs to pollinate them, hunt undesirable bugs that may in any other case devastate a crop, or just enhance soil well being (suppose decomposers like pink wigglers and tablet bugs).  

Because of this natural and regenerative rising strategies are so very important to the well being of our earth, wildlife and human survival.  

why it is best to put on natural cotton? 

It is best to put on natural cotton since you’re serving to assist a extra sustainable technique of farming that can replenish earth’s sources as an alternative of deplete them.  

You’re additionally serving to assist the well being of cotton farmers, and the communities they stay in, if you select natural cotton. And most natural cotton is truthful commerce which suggests cotton farmers are paid truthful wages for his or her labor.  

Along with environmental advantages, natural cotton creates softer, extra sturdy, higher-quality clothes.  

The natural cotton isn’t processed with any harsh chemical substances, so the ensuing clothes is extra comfy when worn. 

On the processing degree, there are not one of the poisonous chemical substances (suppose: formaldehyde, heavy metals, flame retardants, and so on.) generally present in typical cotton, making it so that you received’t take in hint quantities of chemical substances with each put on. 

Because of this you’ll usually see many child garments being made with natural cotton: It’s good for folks with delicate pores and skin. 

is natural cotton higher than polyester? 

Natural cotton is best than polyester on the subject of on a regular basis clothes and family linens. The one exception is for those who’re in search of athletic put on, as you’ll want one thing with a bit extra stretch and moisture wicking effectivity.  

Listed below are some sustainable activewear manufacturers to contemplate that use eco-friendly, recycled supplies.  

In any other case, natural cotton is best than polyester as a result of it’s a pure materials and received’t shed microplastics within the wash. Each time a bit of artificial clothes is washed, it releases 1,900 plastic microfibers into the water.  

These microfibers go out of your washer straight to sewage vegetation or native waterways. Microplastics find yourself washed out to sea as a result of they’re too small to be filtered. 

Additionally pure supplies like natural cotton received’t trigger as a lot irritation or chaffing to the pores and skin, particularly in scorching climate.  

is natural cotton good high quality? 

Natural cotton is nice high quality cotton as a result of it wasn’t handled with a bunch of chemical substances. The fibres are for much longer in comparison with common cotton which makes it softer on the pores and skin.  

Nevertheless, you will need to notice that not all natural cotton is created equal. It is best to all the time search for International Natural Textile Normal (GOTS) licensed natural cotton when attainable.  

GOTS is the worldwide main textile processing customary for natural fibers. It’s the hardest third-party natural textile customary, and anybody who applies should meet their strict standards from begin to end of a product. 

To be GOTs licensed your natural cotton should: 

• Include a minimal of 95% licensed natural fibers 
• Be processed with out bleach, dye, formaldehyde, and different poisonous chemical substances 
• Be produced in a mill that has strict environmental and social requirements (aka prohibits youngster labor, minimizes waste, gives truthful wages, and so on.) 
• Be freed from chemical dyes and azo (they launch carcinogenic compounds)  

To have a GOTS natural cotton certification means the model you’re selecting to purchase from isn’t mendacity to you (aka greenwashing).  

Another sustainable cotton certifications to search for: 

• Natural Content material Normal (OCS): A 3rd-party certification that may be utilized to any non-food product and accommodates at the very least 95% natural materials. It’s the subsequent most stringent to GOTS when it comes to sustainable farming practices. 
• Fairtrade: Whereas not all the time natural, Fairtrade-certified cotton bans genetically modified cotton seeds and has practices in place to guard farmer’s security. Plus, they guarantee to supply truthful wages. 
• Regenerative Natural Licensed (ROC): Comparatively new certification scheme is for merchandise that meet a number of the highest requirements set for soil well being, animal welfare, and farmworker equity.  
• USDA Nationwide Natural Normal + Natural Commerce Affiliation (OTA): Each don’t certify your complete course of like GOTS, however they see to it that cotton has been grown organically. 

the very best manufacturers that use natural cotton 

Now that we’ve analyzed “what’s natural cotton,” listed here are some manufacturers that use natural cotton of their clothes traces and get the Going Zero Waste seal of approval. All these manufacturers are natural licensed however most transcend that, be it by means of donating to nonprofits, or being local weather impartial.    

I’ve gone forward and highlighted some key options of every model, however it isn’t an exhaustive listing. You’ll want to try their web sites for extra info. 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

So, what do you consider natural cotton? Let me know within the feedback beneath!