September 22, 2020
Health Heroes! ♀️
It’s Toxic Free Tuesday! ♀️
Organic Cotton? Or Organic Bamboo?
Decisions, Decisions…
Since I started on this Toxic Free journey I always thought Organic Cotton all the way. But recently, I’ve uncovered the truth about cotton and the negative impact it has on the environment!
While cotton tends to be the most familiar fabric, the reality is that producing cotton consumes a significant amount of water, energy, chemicals and other resources, making it one of the most harmful fabrics to produce.
Chemical Impact:
Chemicals are used at almost every stage of the cotton manufacturing process—in fact, $2 billion in chemicals are sprayed on the world’s cotton crop every year. The unsafe use of agricultural chemicals has severe health impacts on workers in the field, increasing the risk of cancer, hormone and birth defects.
Water Consumption:
One of the biggest environmental issues with cotton production is the water consumption and energy it takes to grow the crops. The crops need hefty amounts of freshwater to grow—20,000 liters to produce 1 kilogram of cotton, which is enough to produce a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. This causes a strain on the world’s water supply, especially in countries that are prone to droughts.
Land Pollution:
Even beyond the water it takes to grow the crops, the process of manufacturing cotton is extremely water-intensive. On top of that, often the polluted water used in the manufacturing process is sent back to rivers, lakes and oceans. Cotton production is the world’s largest textile contributor to water and soil toxicity.
What About Organic Cotton?
Think organic cotton is better? Think again. because of its lower yield per acre, organic cotton tends to use up more resources to produce than conventionally grown cotton, and could have a greater overall impact on the environment.
So when looking for a safe sustainable fabric go 100% Organic Bamboo!
On top of it being better for the environment, it’s softer and cooler too!
Have questions? Comment below!
Till next time! ✨
~Coach Wolf
