What Is The Difference Between Organic And Recycled Cotton?

Eco-Friendly Clothing

Sustainable fashion is making an effort to make up for the fast fashion sector, which is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and generates 3% of all human waste. Some of the main concerns of the  sustainable fashion business include the use of organic and sustainable materials, the reduction of production costs, and the minimisation of waste.

Producing clothing and accessories with minimal negative effects on the natural world is at the heart of sustainable fashion, often known as eco-fashion. People are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability, as evidenced by this new movement. That can be accomplished in part by giving priority to the use of eco-friendly components and conserving energy. This is why eco-friendly designers are favouring natural fibres and repurposed or upcycled materials.

Cotton, for example, is one of the world's most wasteful textiles. Almost everyone on the earth has something crafted from this eco-friendly material. Some estimates have  conventional cotton's share of worldwide pesticide use considerably higher, at 24 percent.

Cotton requires large amounts of water as well. The amount of water needed to grow cotton for one T-shirt is approximately 710 gallons (2,700 litres). Industrial cotton farming has a negative effect on ecosystems and the people who tend them, as well as depleting the soil.

Organic cotton and recycled cotton are two examples of how sustainable fashion is addressing these problems. Conventional cotton requires a lot of water and pesticides, whereas organic cotton doesn't use any of those things. However, because recycled cotton is made from leftovers, it reduces landfill waste and has a smaller carbon footprint.

How to Tell the Difference Between Organic Cotton and Recycled Cotton

The term recycled cotton refers to cotton that has been used again after its initial use as trash. Consider a garment business that must dispose of the scraps left over after cutting patterns from large bolts of fabric. Cotton "waste" from cut-and-sew factories can be recycled because it is a byproduct of the textile industry. Recycled cotton's potential to lessen environmental impacts in the sustainable fashion and apparel industry hinges on its application.

Soil health, biodiversity, and the natural cycles of life are all bolstered by the cultivation methods used to produce cotton that has earned the organic label from a third-party certifier. Overall, cotton is one of the "dirtiest" crops due to the fact that it uses up 2.5% of all farmland and $24% ($2.6 billion) of the global insecticide market. Organic cotton is mostly sourced and produced in China, Turkey, and India. Although using organic cotton makes cotton farming "greener," conventional and organic cotton both go through the same manufacturing process, which uses a lot of water and power.

Recover's 100% recycled sustainable clothing is made using cotton that was previously destined for the landfill. Upcycling is a more accurate term to explain how Recover employs post-industrial recovered cotton. Instead of reducing the quality of a product through the recycling process, upcycling enhances it by transforming discarded materials into something new. Recover's manufacturing process reduces glasshouse gas emissions by 35%, energy consumption by 66%, and water usage by 55% when compared to a conventionally dyed shirt, all thanks to the utilisation of recovered cotton in the production of these goods. Through a focus on the larger picture, Recover prevents waste from landfills by recycling plastic bottles and post-industrial cotton scraps into breathable, soft, long-lasting, and fashionable clothing.

Cotton that would have been thrown away is instead used to make recycled cotton. The vast majority of recycled cotton comes from cotton offcuts generated in textile factories around the world. It's common to refer to this cotton as  post-industrial recycled cotton to describe its provenance. Recycled cotton, also known as  post-consumer recycled cotton, can be made from previously owned cotton clothes that have been discarded. Cotton that has already been recycled cannot be recycled indefinitely, which is the material's main downside. The length, resilience, and look of cotton fibres are frequently diminished in the recycling process.

In addition, for a high-quality final product, recycled cotton must be combined with other fibres like (recycled) polyester. Consequently, you won't be able to locate anything produced of 100% recycled cotton using today's techniques. Some businesses have goals of using at least 50% recycled materials, but if you're trying to cut down on waste, recycled cotton is still your best bet.

Cotton Cultivation

Let's begin at the source: the plant itself. Historically, cotton has been grown in vast quantities across Asia, Africa, and the Americas because of the favourable hot and dry climate required for cotton farms. Imagine American African slaves bending over in a Virginia cotton field, picking the crop. After the fruit has dried, the plant uses the fibre balls to guard its seeds, and this is where cotton comes from. Due to its widespread use, cotton is in high demand around the world, driving farmers to cultivate vast swaths of land intensively, which depletes soil and causes pollution, often leading to an increase in the local population's risk of cancer.

If you want to know how much of an  impact cotton farming has around the world, just look at the United States, where 12 million acres are devoted to cotton production—more that's land than is used to cultivate all of Italy's Po Valley. Huge tractors or even planes travel across these fields spraying pesticides and other chemicals on the ground to ensure healthy and productive harvests.

Organic Cotton Characteristics

The seed of an organic cotton plant differs greatly from that of a conventional cotton plant. The seeds used to produce conventional cotton have been genetically engineered and are often treated with pesticides. This is necessary to maximise output and fulfil the market's ravenous appetite for throwaway, quick fashion. Therefore, organic cotton is derived from a more mature plant whose cultivation is less detrimental to natural habitats.

Interestingly, organic cotton farming reduces water usage. In reality, despite producing a smaller harvest, it increases the mineral content of the soil. Crop rotation is a method used in agriculture that ensures the land is always treated with care. By changing the crops year after year, we can protect the soil and make it more fruitful, reducing the amount of water we need to grow our food.

Harvesting organic cotton by hand is recommended. Compared to large-scale plantations where the fibre is harvested by machine, this method ensures a higher level of fibre purity.

Like all certified organic crops, organic cotton is grown in a way that is safe for the environment and the people who tend to it. Internationally accepted norms have also validated its quality. When everything, from planting to packaging, has been inspected and passed muster, the certifications are issued by third-party organisations.

Look for one of the following certificates on the tag to verify that the shirt you're considering buying was actually created using organic cotton:

• OCS organic cotton
• OCS 100 organic cotton
• Organic cotton GOTS

Insights into the Advantages of Organic Cotton and Recycled Cotton

To sum up the benefits of going with organic cotton, we have:

• Eliminating or drastically lowering worldwide pollution
• Lessening our dependence on scarce water and power
• Adopting the use of non-GMO, non-industrialized, and historically significant seed varieties
• Elimination or at least reduction of diseases caused by air pollution
• Maintaining safe working conditions and ending the exploitation of children are two important goals.
• Cleanliness of the fibres

Even in little quantities of cotton, all these benefits can be discovered. To be more precise, only 1% of all cotton grown in the world is classified as organic. Natural cotton is better for the environment than conventional cotton, although both types of cotton need to be grown. As a result, it is not equal to zero. How about we cut this section as well?

Only cotton that already exists, such as that recycled from industrial waste or old clothing, can be used without first having to be grown. In this situation, the environmental effect of cotton can be cut in half by either organic or intensive growing methods. This fibre can be recycled at least once.

Textile scraps are torn, shredded, and reprocessed into cotton fibre to create upcycled cotton. Therefore, recycling cotton is a mechanical process that requires no liquids and cuts down water usage to nearly nothing.

Many times water is not even needed for the colouring of upcycled cotton because the trash is selected by colour beforehand, and the cotton is instead coloured in skein. What are the drawbacks? It's the only one. Because of its inferior strength to  virgin cotton, upcycled fibre requires a minimum percentage of natural cotton or synthetic fibres to be strengthened.

Conclusion

Cotton is the most widely used textile in the world, but it is also found in upholstery and decorative fabrics. Its production necessitates intense cultivation with widespread pesticide use, as well as massive volumes of water and dyes for processing. The amount of water needed to grow cotton for one T-shirt is approximately 710 gallons (2,700 litres). Recycled cotton is cotton that has been used again after its initial use as trash. Cotton "waste" from cut-and-sew factories can be recycled because it is a byproduct of the textile industry.

Recover prevents waste from landfills by recycling plastic bottles and post-industrial cotton scraps into breathable, soft, long-lasting, and fashionable clothing. Cotton is in high demand around the world, driving farmers to cultivate vast swaths of land intensively, which depletes soil and causes pollution, often leading to an increase in the local population's risk of cancer. Some businesses have goals of using at least 50% recycled materials but if you're trying to cut down on waste, recycled cotton is still your best bet. Only 1% of all cotton grown in the world is classified as organic. Recycling cotton can be cut in half by either organic or intensive growing methods.

Only cotton that already exists, such as that recycled from industrial waste or old clothing, can be used without first being grown. This fibre can be recycled at least once.

Content Summary

• There is no doubt that cotton is the most widely used textile in the world.
• It is mostly used to make clothing like T-shirts, jeans, and underwear, but it is also found in upholstery and decorative fabrics.
• A major contributor to environmental degradation is massive consumption.
• In reality, its production necessitates intense cultivation with widespread pesticide use, as well as massive volumes of water and dyes for processing.
• It's also important to remember that nations like India and Pakistan, where labour abuse is widespread, are responsible for the bulk of this material's harvests.
• Organic cotton, for instance, whose cultivation has less of an impact on the environment, is frequently mentioned in discussions of ethical and sustainable fashion.
• In this post, we'll discuss organic cotton and try to determine whether organic virgin cotton or recycled cotton is the most environmentally friendly option by comparing the two.
• Sustainable fashion is making an effort to make up for the fast fashion sector, which is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions and generates 3% of all human waste.
• Some of the main concerns of the sustainable fashion business include the use of organic and sustainable materials, the reduction of production costs, and the minimisation of waste.
• Producing clothing and accessories with minimal negative effects on the natural world is at the heart of sustainable fashion, often known as eco-fashion.
• People are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability, as evidenced by this new movement.
• That can be accomplished in part by giving priority to the use of eco-friendly components and conserving energy.
• This is why eco-friendly designers are favouring natural fibres and repurposed or upcycled materials.
• Cotton, for example, is one of the world's most wasteful textiles.
• Almost everyone on the earth has something crafted from this eco-friendly material.
• Some estimates have conventional cotton's share of worldwide pesticide use considerably higher, at 24 percent.
• Cotton requires large amounts of water as well.
• However, because recycled cotton is made from leftovers, it reduces landfill waste and has a smaller carbon footprint.
• The term recycled cotton refers to cotton that has been used again after its initial use as trash.
• Cotton "waste" from cut-and-sew factories can be recycled because it is a byproduct of the textile industry.
• Recycled cotton's potential to lessen environmental impacts in the sustainable fashion and apparel industry hinges on its application.
• Overall, cotton is one of the "dirtiest" crops due to the fact that it uses up 2.5% of all farmland and $24% ($2.6 billion) of the global insecticide market.
• Organic cotton is mostly sourced and produced in China, Turkey, and India.
• Although using organic cotton makes cotton farming "greener," conventional and organic cotton both go through the same manufacturing process, which uses a lot of water and power.
• Recover's 100% recycled sustainable clothing is made using cotton that was previously destined for the landfill.
• Upcycling is a more accurate term to explain how Recover employs post-industrial recovered cotton.
• Instead of reducing the quality of a product through the recycling process, upcycling enhances it by transforming discarded materials into something new.
• Recover's manufacturing process reduces glasshouse gas emissions by 35%, energy consumption by 66%, and water usage by 55% when compared to a conventionally dyed shirt, all thanks to the utilisation of recovered cotton in the production of these goods.
• Through a focus on the larger picture, Recover prevents waste from landfills by recycling plastic bottles and post-industrial cotton scraps into breathable, soft, long-lasting, and fashionable clothing.
• Cotton that would have been thrown away is instead used to make recycled cotton.
• The vast majority of recycled cotton comes from cotton offcuts generated in textile factories around the world.
• It's common to refer to this cotton as post-industrial recycled cotton to describe its provenance.
• The length, resilience, and look of cotton fibres are frequently diminished in the recycling process.
• In addition, for a high-quality final product, recycled cotton must be combined with other fibres like (recycled) polyester.
• Consequently, you won't be able to locate anything produced of 100% recycled cotton using today's techniques.
• Some businesses have goals of using at least 50% recycled materials, but if you're trying to cut down on waste, recycled cotton is still your best bet.
• Historically, cotton has been grown in vast quantities across Asia, Africa, and the Americas because of the favourable hot and dry climate required for cotton farms.
• Due to its widespread use, cotton is in high demand around the world, driving farmers to cultivate vast swaths of land intensively, which depletes soil and causes pollution, often leading to an increase in the local population's risk of cancer.
• The seed of an organic cotton plant differs greatly from that of a conventional cotton plant.
• Therefore, organic cotton is derived from a more mature plant whose cultivation is less detrimental to natural habitats.
• Interestingly, organic cotton farming reduces water usage.
• In reality, despite producing a smaller harvest, it increases the mineral content of the soil.
• Crop rotation is a method used in agriculture that ensures the land is always treated with care.
• Compared to large-scale plantations where the fibre is harvested by machine, this method ensures a higher level of fibre purity.
• Like all certified organic crops, organic cotton is grown in a way that is safe for the environment and the people who tend to it.
• Internationally accepted norms have also validated its quality.
• Look for one of the following certificates on the tag to verify that the shirt you're considering buying was actually created using organic cotton: OCS organic cotton OCS 100 organic cotton Organic cotton GOTS Insights into the Advantages of Organic Cotton and Recycled Cotton
• To sum up the benefits of going with organic cotton, we have:
• To be more precise, only 1% of all cotton grown in the world is classified as organic.
• Natural cotton is better for the environment than conventional cotton, although both types of cotton need to be grown.
• Only cotton that already exists, such as that recycled from industrial waste or old clothing, can be used without first having to be grown.
• In this situation, the environmental effect of cotton can be cut in half by either organic or intensive growing methods.
• This fibre can be recycled at least once.
• Textile scraps are torn, shredded, and reprocessed into cotton fibre to create upcycled cotton.
• Therefore, recycling cotton is a mechanical process that requires no liquids and cuts down water usage to nearly nothing.