Organic Cotton GOTS Certified
Cotton is a natural fiber cultivated for centuries around the globe. It accounts for more than 50% of the fiber consumption of the world. Everyone loves cotton, whether it comes to buying a new natural T-shirt or looking for a comfortable bedding. It all sounds lovely, but in fact, not many of us know how toxic conventional cotton really is. It is like a thriller story to discover the facts and figures regarding how it is grown and processed. The truth shows us why organic cotton GOTS certified is a far superior and a better option to choose.
Regular cotton, sprayed with pesticides:
Reasons Why Conventional Cotton is Harmful to the Planet
Although cotton uses less than 5% of the agricultural land of the world, it consumes over 16% of the world’s insecticides and over 10% of the world’s pesticides. These statistics make cotton the most toxic and the dirtiest crop that humans cultivate. In order to grow one pound of cotton, up to one-third pound of fertilizers is used, which means that your T-shirt is more chemical than cotton. Furthermore, nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizers leech nutrients from the soil by polluting waterways.
Conventional cotton contains pesticides and insecticides
Pesticides used on conventional cotton are harmful to human health and can prevent an individual’s nerve cells from communicating with each other. This may result in disruption of the immune system, severe depression, paralysis, impaired memory, and even death.
Conventional cotton mostly comes from the developing countries like China, India and Uzbekistan. There farmers use pesticides and chemical fertilizers without taking any precautionary measures (e.g. wearing protective clothing). It happens because of their lack of knowledge or non-existent safety standards. As a result, many of them either fall ill or die.
Chemicals used during cotton production
Conventional cotton contains harmful chemicals such as
- malathion
- aldicarb (extremely hazardous, just one drop of the pesticide, when absorbed through the skin can kill a human)
- parathion (extremely hazardous)
- acephate
- methamidophos (highly hazardous)
and more. Moreover formaldehyde, ammonia, heavy metals, toxic softeners, and silicone waxes. These substances flow freely into lakes and streams and kill aquatic ecosystems. In 2004 the reserchers of the Technical University of Łódz in Poland cunducted a study, that revealed an alarming fact. The dangerous chemicals in use during cotton production were present in the cotton clothes as well.
Reasons Why Organic Cotton is Better
As compared to conventional cotton, organic cotton grow without the use of pesticides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers. Furthermore, farmers who grow organic cotton use cover crops and manure. These substances add nutrients, which is helpful when it comes to increasing the biological ecosystem in soil. Apart from this, finishing organic cotton is also eco-friendly because the use of harmful chemicals is strictly prohibited.
Benefits of Organic Cotton
By choosing organic cotton GOTS certified, you receive all the benefits of cotton’s strength, comfort, and beauty while minimizing harm to yourself and the planet.
Following are some of the key benefits of organic cotton:
- It is 100% eco-friendly.
- It supports the local communities of growers.
- It has natural soft feel quality.
- The chemical-free, natural process significantly reduces water and soil pollution.
Moreover
- It provides all the texture and quality you can expect from cotton products.
- It is hypoallergenic. It does not emit any harmful particles. Furthermore, it is healthy for the skin and does not cause any irritation or allergy.
- Safe cultivation of organic cotton is good for the farmers, water, plants and animals, and the future.
- Organic cotton does not just feel good on your skin, but also on your conscience.
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Organic cotton vs regular cotton
As mentioned above, the researchers from the Techical University in Poland proved that theclothes from regular cotton carry the pesticides in them. Just one more fact. India is the second largest regular cotton producer, with over 6 126 000 tons of cotton produces annually. It is home to one third of the world’s cotton workers. Cotton production uses 54% of all pesticides used, but is grown on 5% of land dedicated to all the crops. Just imagine, the consequences on the farmers health. From severe consequences to mild.
Organic cotton production has no side effects. No chemicals contaminate people or the land. The clothes or bedding made of it is healthy and clean.
By using regular cotton we take responsibility
According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, 99% of the world’s cotton workers live in the developing world. It is where not much atention is paid to human and nature’s safety. There, people experience poor labelling of pesticides, chronic poverty, illiteracy, inadequate safeguards, inadequate clothing. These factors affect the entire communities of workes and ecosystem. Moreover, 75% of all the global conventional cotton production comes from these regions. By buying conventional cottton, or simply not using the cotton properly, disrespecting clothes, we are responsible for a part of the cotton farmers hardships.
Knowing all these facts, it is essential to make wise decisions, when it comes to choosing the organic vs regular cotton. It makes sense to buy one piece of clothing made of organic cotton, instead of 5 made of regular. Lynda Grose, a fashion designer, cofounder of Esprit’s Ecollection division said:
“Organic cotton is just as good as conventional cotton. The only difference is the chemicals.”
To write the text, we based on our knowledge, experience and