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What Makes Organic Cotton Great - And Recycled Cotton the Best
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 So you're looking for cotton products, right? Learn why organic cotton is a better choice than conventional cotton - and why recycled cotton is the most eco-friendly cotton choice of all. See for yourself why not all cottons are created equal with a few basic points we've pulled together for you.
(be sure to check out the selection of recycled cotton and organic cotton products we offer in our store!)
Conventional Cotton (bad)
Organic Cotton (better)
Recycled Cotton (best!)
Conventional Cotton
So what's the problem with standard cotton?
The Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in the United States as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens (acephate, dichloropropene, diuron, fluometuron, pendimethalin, tribufos, and trifluralin). (Source: EPA)
Cotton ranks second for most pesticide use of all crops.
In the US, it takes about 1/3 of a pound of pesticides and herbicides to grow enough conventional cotton for just one T-shirt.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 84 million pounds of pesticides and 2.03 billion pounds of synthetic fertilizers were applied to 14.4 million acres of cotton in the US in 2000.
In 1997, large apparel companies purchased 2.15 million pounds of organic cotton, which eliminated an estimated 43,000 pounds of pesticides and 485,190 pounds of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. (Organic Fiber Council
Research shows that the vast amounts of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, soil additives and defoliants used to grow non-organic cotton wreak havoc on soil, water and air around the globe. In 1995 approximately 250,000 fish were killed in Lawrence, Alabama, when heavy rains washed lethal concentrations of methyl parathion and endosulfan from cotton fields into a 16-mile stretch of a creek that emptied into a nearby lake. (C. Cox, 1995, Cotton Spraying Kills Fish)
"When the planes still swoop down and aerial spray a field in order to kill a predator insect with pesticides, we are in the Dark Ages of commerce. Maybe one thousandth of this aerial insecticide actually prevents the infestation. The balance goes to the leaves, into the soil, into the water, into all forms of wildlife, into ourselves. What is good for the balance sheet is wasteful of resources and harmful to life." - Paul Hawking, The Ecology of Commerce
Organic Cotton
Organic cotton is a far superior alternative to chemical-laden conventional cotton.
More and more farmers around the world are growing cotton without costly, harmful chemicals. Their yield is high and the quality of the cotton they grow is equal to or better than conventionally grown cotton. Their methods support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, improve the quality of soil and often use less water.
Growing organically takes more time, requires more knowledge and skill, and, at least for now, costs a bit more. But it is worth it since it doesn't contain any hidden costs to our environment.
Recycled Cotton
In our view recycled cotton is the best choice of all. Using recycled cotton helps reduce the harsh dyes, pesticides & herbicides of conventional cotton and the energy, water and human labor required for both conventionally and organically grown cotton. Recycling discarded fibers also helps divert millions of tons of textile waste entering our landfills each year.
Made from pre-consumer cotton "table waste" clippings that otherwise would be dumped in landfills, recycled cotton is manufactured with no wet finishing or dying. There is no chemical or liquid of any kind used in its process. Plus, recent advances in manufacturing have made the look and feel of recycled cotton almost identical to regular cotton.
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Conventional cotton production uses approximately 25% of the world's insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, and defoliants.
The good news is that the market for organic cotton apparel, bags and bedding is growing every year as people make the connection between conventional cotton growing, human health problems, and environmental damage.
Click here to get on board with our hemp and organic cotton products!
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