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What differentiates organic cotton from non-organic cotton?
First, organic cotton requires 91% less water than conventional cotton and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
By now, is known that cotton seriously harms the environment. According to WWF, it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton needed for just one T-shirt.
By now, is known that cotton seriously harms the environment. According to WWF, it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton needed for just one T-shirt.
However, organic cotton produced without synthetic chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides is much better, as it requires only 243 liters of water, according to the Soil Association. Unfortunately, less than 1% of all cotton produced is currently organic. This means that we need to improve the production of this fiber.
But what is the environmental impact of organic cotton?
As we've already mentioned, a 2017 Textiles Exchange report states that organic cotton reduces blue water consumption by 91% compared to conventional cotton. In addition, organic cotton doesn't require genetically modified crops, which usually need larger amounts of water, and not using pesticides also makes the process more beneficial in terms of water waste.
According to a 2011 Water Footprint report, growing organic cotton rather than conventional cotton also reduces water pollution levels by 98 percent, due to the fact that synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers are not used.
According to the Textile Exchange, organic cotton produces 46 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional cotton, simply by not using fertilizers and pesticides that release nitrous oxide and by limiting mechanized forms of agriculture. Free of fertilizers and pesticides, the soil also acts as a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
And as if the advantages weren't enough, organic cotton can be recycled. In this case, however, the technology has yet to be perfected. "When you recycle a fabric mechanically, the fiber tends to shorten, which means the quality is not very good," Truscott explains. "Cotton can undergo 'chemical recycling' which reduces it to cellulose and makes a viscose-like product. But this practice is not yet widespread."