And, it turns out, organic cotton is even worse â needing to have 20,000 uses versus 7,000 (this is due ⦠In the Texas Panhandle, cotton fields are irrigated by pumping water from the Ogallala Aquifer. Because these yarns contain no synthetic materials, manufacturing them has no negative impact on the environment. Fiction: Purified Cotton® contains chlorine, which can be harmful to human health as a respiratory irritant. All Rights Reserved. Plants can no longer grow on these soils and agriculture has to be abandoned. At Barnhardt, we take the business of producing purified cotton, and doing so as sustainably as possible, as central to our mission. Cotton is a natural fibre that when woven or knitted produces a soft, strong fabric that is breathable, absorbent and washable. There are many factors that contribute to the more efficient growth of cotton, including precision agriculture techniques and technologies tied to agronomy and genetically modified cotton that’s able to better withstand elements and pests. Fact: Again, cotton shows far less use of arable land, with only three percent of arable land plantings coming from cotton production. However the way it is farmed may be. And an additional 85 countries grow the crop as well, with 55 of those exporting. Recent advancements in technology, including the ability to modify the cotton plant’s genetic material, have made cotton toxic to some of its common pests. Still widely traded as a global commodity, cotton however no longer dominates the market for use in apparel. Receive product updates and industry news straight to your inbox. A well-recognized organic certification program helps consumers make smart choices and protects them from greenwashing. One of the most versatile crops grown all over the world, the cotton story is one that’s commonly told with misconceptions and some outright falsehoods, especially with regard to the environmental impact of a product so crucial to the success of multiple industries, including apparel, non-wovens, upholstery, and many more. In the United States, western cotton farmers rely on irrigation as well. Crops like corn and soybeans require exponentially greater use of these chemical aids. It still uses chemicals, just naturally derived ones, which advocates say ⦠If youâre trying to live a more eco-friendly life, switching ⦠Fact: Genetic modification has different goals in different crops. In addition, you need to consider the annual, dramatic increases in yield per acre in cotton production over the last decade. Integrated Pest Management (IPM), for example, is an established, effective method of fighting pests which results in a net reduction of pesticides used. Learn more », Barnhardt has a strong history of innovation. For cotton, one of the main purposes of genetic modification is to lessen the amount of pesticides needed throughout the growing season, which results in less pesticide runoff. Fiction: Genetically modified cotton (aka biotechnology) is bad for the environment and harmful to humans. Organiccotton.org (a consortium of European fair trade and textile industry groups) has a good quick read on the environmental and social impacts of cotton processing . As part of the same study, published in Science, researchers also took surface water samples and compared the microfiber contents from samples taken decades prior. This involved collecting sediment from around 20 coastal sites in the United Kingdom. Treehugger uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our. The production of cotton is incredibly water intensive, and the methods used to process natural fibres often introduce a myriad of harmful chemicals into waters used for bathing and drinking. Our choices are not so simple anymore. In the United States, cotton production is mostly concentrated in an area called the Cotton Belt, stretching from the lower Mississippi River through an arc spanning the lowlands of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. ». Is Microfiber or Cotton More Eco-Friendly? Needing sunshine, abundant water, and relatively frost-free winters, cotton is grown in a surprising variety of locations with diverse climates, including Australia, Argentina, West Africa, and Uzbekistan. Conventional cotton has a higher yield than organic cotton (i.e. In addition, synthetic fertilizers contribute an important quantity of greenhouse gases during their production and use. EVOC contributes to our vision for a more sustainable, high-performance Purified Cotton® that sets a new standard for excellence in nonwovens, particularly in the areas of feminine and baby hygiene products. Simple, right? Every part of cotton, whether you’re talking about the plant itself, seed, oil, and of course the fiber, is used in one way or another. To make matters worse the now-dry salt and pesticide residues are blown away from the former fields and lake bed, negatively impacting the health of the 4 million people who live downwind through an increase in miscarriages and malformations. Fiction: Purified Cotton®, used in a wide range of hygiene products for women and babies, contains genetically modified organisms. The production of cotton-textiles uses up large amounts of resources, such as water and energy, as well as releasing byproducts of starch, paraffin, dyes, pesticides and other harmful pollutants into the air and soil â under regular conditions. Clothing made from organic cotton ⦠Fact: Testing at Barnhardt Purified Cotton® shows that our purified cotton product, used in a wide variety of wipes, feminine care, and baby products, is free of glyphosate down to the testing limit of 10 parts per billion. These fibers include wool, cotton, silk, bamboo fiber, and banana fiber. In northwest Texas, Ogallala groundwater levels have dropped over 8 feet between 2004 and 2014. Are There Environmentally Friendly Alternatives for Cotton Growth? The goal for the next 10 years for U.S. Cotton is to increase land use efficiency by 13%. A new life cycle assessment said that plastic bags are better for the environment than organic cotton tote bags. Fact: This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Organic cotton is grown in a way that uses methods and materials that lessen the impact on our environment. The former cotton fields of Uzbekistan have seen this issue on a large scale. Another negative consequence of heavy irrigation is soil salination. Dr. Frederic Beaudry is an associate professor of environmental science at Alfred University in New York. This can be achieved through different means. A large number of farmers have adopted genetically modified cotton seeds that include a gene protecting it from the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup). It is a versatile part of many fabrics. Cotton workers on organic cotton farms are spared from health problems caused by chemicals in cotton farming. Organic cotton crop does not use harmful chemicals like synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. To control the numerous pests feeding on the cotton plant, farmers have long relied on the heavy application of insecticides, which leads to the pollution of surface and groundwater⦠In developing countries, half of the pesticides used in all of agriculture are put toward cotton. Pollinators such as bees play a critical role in pollinating the crops humans rely on for food. Conventionally grown cotton requires the heavy use of synthetic fertilizers. Cotton is the most pesticide intensive crop in the world: these pesticides injure and kill many people every year. Farmworkers, particularly where the labor is less mechanized, continue to be exposed to harmful chemicals. Cotton production is responsible for the emission of 220 million tons of CO2 annually. So, was my decision to ditch plastic bags bad for the environment⦠Fact: Actually, Purified Cotton® contains no genetically modified genes even if grown from seeds that were genetically modified. Competing weeds are another threat to cotton production. At a time when the general population is moving toward greener practices, the bigger question asks about the environmental cost of growing cotton. If you’ve heard something on the street about the production of cotton, chances are, it’s likely wrong. As an interesting side note, 95 percent of human clothing derives from genetically modified cotton. Cotton accounts for 2.4% of the world's crop land, but 24% of global sales of insecticides. All cotton is biodegradable. Genetically modified cotton can also help reduce pesticide application, but with many caveats. Fact: Not at Barnhardt. Other environmentally sound wool replacements include Tencel, organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, soyabean fabric, linen, and recycled fibres. Cotton yarn production is, unfortunately, quite harmful for the environment. Learn more ». Cotton has a strong record in sustainability. Globally, 35 million hectares of cotton are under cultivation. Fiction: Hygiene products made with Purified Cotton® contains glyphosate, one of the most widely-used herbicides in agriculture. Fact: Cotton only accounts for three percent of water used for crop irrigation. Corn, to use another quite versatile crop as an example, uses more than twice as much water to produce. Diversion of water and its pollution by cotton growing has had severe impacts on major ecosystems such as the Aral Sea in Central Asia, the Indus Delta in Pakistan and the Murray Darling River in Australia. Obviously, one could question the appropriateness of growing a non-food crop in arid portions of California and Arizona during the current multi-year drought. Fact: Genetic modification has different goals in different crops. Although it is less energy intensive than nylon to produce, it still requires more than double the energy of conventional cotton to produce. Natural fibres have their problems, too. Where organic cotton may have an advantage is in using fewer chemicals. And other aspects of agriculture dwarf even these two stalwart crops–watering pasture to raise livestock triples the amount of consumption for cotton production. This is because it is an organism that is a part of the environment and it produces oxygen. a single conventional cotton plant produces more fibre than an organic one as it has been genetically engineered this way). In areas with marginal irrigation needs, drip irrigation offers important water savings. As a result, it doesn't poison the water, soil or air, and is even beneficial to the environment. We call it the Enhanced Visual Opening Cleaning System (EVOC), which produces the cleanest cotton on the market today, virtually free of all impurities. © 2020 Barnhardt Natural Fibers. As defined by a Danish study in 2018, any cotton grocery bag should be used 7,100 times for it to truly be positive for the environment. It can be coloured and woven. Fiction: Cotton uses a large percent of all the herbicides and pesticides in agriculture. Fiction: Disposable, single-use products are not biodegradable. Cotton as such is not bad for environment. In fact, we recently updated our purification process on a number of fronts. These two cotton-rich markets have joined forces, as producers and industry organizations pursue new standards for sustainability with pioneering investments in infrastructure and practices. In many regions, rainfall is insufficient to grow cotton. Cotton is everywhere. Generally, a combination of tilling practices and herbicides are used to knock back weeds. In some areas the amount of pesticides used at cotton farming damaging to the environment, but cotton is not worse at that than other crops. This is pretty bad news for fish and animals as well as people. Yet few of us know how it is grown or its environmental impact. Fiction: Cotton uses a large amount of water for irrigation. If you have questions about the environmental impact of our products, please contact us to learn the facts about cotton and the safety of our environment. It is an agricultural product and completely biodegradable if nothing is added to it. If large scale farmed in dry areas, such as south central Russia, may cause water deposits to dry up. Researchers have found that the fertilizers used on cotton are the most detrimental to the environment, running off into freshwater habitats and groundwater ⦠While organic cotton is less toxic to the environment, it takes over twice as much water to produce than conventional cotton. To grow cotton in a more environmentally friendly way, the first step must be to reduce the use of dangerous pesticides. It also takes up a large proportion of agricultural land, much of which is needed by local people to grow their own food. That way, the fields can be sprayed with the herbicide when the plant is young, easily eliminating competition from weeds. Organic cotton is grown to preserve both the environment and human health. Though this has reduced the use of insecticides, it hasn't eliminated the need. According to the World Wildlife Fund, using IPM decreased pesticide use for some of India’s cotton farmers by 60–80%. Fiction: The production of cotton is inefficient, creating a lot of waste products along the production chain. More than 50% of the worldâs cotton comes from the United States. With the unending discussion about renewable energy and fossil fuel, and the harm it is causing to our environment, the unhealthy carbon emission, depleting the ozone layer and ultimately bringing about the impending catastrophic global warming environmental scientists warn us about, it is important we decide if we ⦠To control the numerous pests feeding on the cotton plant, farmers have long relied on the heavy application of insecticides, which leads to the pollution of surface and groundwater. A big effort in the organic movement is to use growing systems that replenish and maintain soil fertility and build biologically diverse agriculture. This phenomenon has had a positive effect on both the environment human health through the reduction in water contamination. Organic cotton can actually use up more resources than conventionally grown cotton and it could have a greater impact on the environment. Cottonâs most prominent environmental impacts result from the use of agrochemicals (especially pesticides), the consumption of water, and the conversion of habitat to agricultural use. Fiction: Cotton uses a large amount of farmland. The Domestication History of Cotton (Gossypium), An Overview of Biotechnology and the Biotech Industry, Environmental Consequences of the California Drought, Cleaner, Greener Cotton: Impacts and Better Management Practices. of global use of herbicides and pesticides, 45% less irrigation water to grow a pound of cotton, lessen the amount of pesticides needed throughout the growing season, Data shows that the purification process removes these organisms, down to the testing limit of 10 parts per billion, Enhanced Visual Opening Cleaning System (EVOC), plant itself, seed, oil, and of course the fiber, Protect Yourself and the Planet With Natural Hygiene Products, Debunking Myths About Cotton Sustainability, Purified Cotton Fiber Is GMO-Free After Scouring And Purification, Processing Cotton: Growing Quality Cotton, Sustainably, Learn how Barnhardt Manufacturing Company, Inc. is communicating internally and externally, regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. 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