One of the most interesting parts of my writing job is researching topics I wouldn’t have otherwise. This week lead me to learn that cotton is a dirty industry.
Nicknamed “The dirtiest crop in the world”, cotton is a very pesticide-intensive crop. Almost 1kg of hazardous pesticides is used globally for every one hectare of cotton cropland.
These chemicals leak into the surrounding land, air, and plants - poisoning all in its path.
If wreaking havoc on beautiful wildlife and risking the health of local habitats and farmers wasn’t enough, these chemicals are sold worldwide to consumers purchasing any conventional cotton products.
These consumers then take these chemicals home, placing them next to their skin and around their homes.
A few common chemicals used in non-organic cotton production:
Aldicarb: One of the most toxic pesticides applied to cotton. A powerful nerve agent.
Endosulfan: One of the most widely used pesticides for cotton. Linked to comas, seizures, and even death.
Organophosphates: Another common for cotton. Exposure linked to headaches, dizziness, poor reproductive health, and causing respiratory stress.
It’s clear that nightly exposure to bed sheets with chemical residue also cause common dermatological issues for the masses. Our bodies go through a cleansing process during our sleep cycle. As your muscles relax, the skin softens and becomes more permeable.
Signs of exposure being:
Irritation
Breakouts
Inflammation
Redness
Allergic reactions
Organic bed sheets not only have stronger fibres that are longer lasting as they have not been through vigorous chemical processing, but their fibres are also free of any “chemical coating” allowing the natural fibres to absorb and regulate your body temperature throughout the night, and efficiently wicking away any moisture from your body to provide consistent comfort for your full 8 hours.
As the production of organic cotton preserves and enriches the health and vitality of the soil around it (and limits soil erosion), organic cotton requires far less water to produce - 91% less water than regular cotton.
Organic cotton also uses 46% less CO2 than regular cotton due to no spraying of fertilisers, pesticides, and insecticides - and 62% less energy than conventional cotton due to no requirement for those fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides, and for the machinery to continuously distribute them.
As consumers, each time we choose a particular item, that is a vote. Either supporting cheap, fast, and toxic companies, or that local supplier delivering the highest quality sustainable organic produce in any industry - your vote goes a long way in choosing who is supported in the world we’re in today.
It is true that some companies claim to be certified organic without actually having any certification. This practice can mislead consumers who are looking for genuinely organic products and their benefits.
This is often to save money on the certification process and avoid the costs associated with complying with stringent organic standards, while still marketing their products as organic.
Obtaining and maintaining organic certification can be expensive and time-consuming, involving rigorous inspections, strict adherence to specific farming and production practices, and regular audits.
GOTS Certification guarantees production is free from:
Any harmful chemicals, insecticides, or pesticides
No GM seeds
No toxic dyes or bleaches
Any unethical production practices, ensuring fair wages, no child labour, and safe working conditions.
This certification provides consumers with confidence in the quality and authenticity of the products, benefiting both the environment and socially responsible businesses.
If you see the GOTS certification logo, you know the product has been regularly tested, thoroughly inspected, and IS authentic organic goodness.
