By now it’s clear to most Americans that organic food is healthier, and organic farming practices are safer than conventional methods. And when we shop organic it’s always comforting to see third-party organic certifications, because “natural” means diddly. If a food product is labeled “organic,” it must contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
Soft, breathable cotton — our favorite textile to wear and wrap up in bed with — has dirty secrets that have long gone unchecked, and most of America has no idea. Cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop. There are about 20 million results for “toxic cotton” on Google.
Organic cotton, like organic food, uses less water, doesn’t poison the soil and its farmers, and isn’t treated with toxic chemical finishing agents. In the U.S., the claim “organic” on textiles is protected by the government. Only textiles labeled with a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) logo can be claimed as organic.
Check out this simple GOTS video to learn more:
https://youtu.be/wv2q8WLWZVU
Below are some resources to help you learn about the dirty cotton industry. Then, let’s start a clean cotton revolution!
How to get rid of chemicals in fabrics. (Hint: trick question.)
Chemical Cotton
Fact Sheet on U.S. Cotton Subsidies and Cotton Production