Cotton

What is cotton?

Cotton is a natural plant fiber that surrounds the seeds of the cotton plant. Harvested for millennia in regions benefiting from a warm, humid climate, cotton is the most widely produced natural textile fiber on the planet (over 25 million tons of cotton produced during the 2021-2022 season) and the leading non-food agricultural product. It's soft, resistant and absorbent, but takes a long time to dry and can become mildewed. It is comfortable and hypoallergenic. Its quality varies according to the length, fineness and maturity of its fibers.

Where does cotton come from?

Cotton can be found on every continent, but China (5835 thousand tonnes in 2021-2022) is the leading producer, closely followed by India ( 5334 thousand tonnes), then the USA (3815 thousand tonnes), Brazil (2504 thousand tonnes) and Australia (1252 thousand tonnes). These 5 countries alone account for nearly 74% of world production.

What are the stages in the transformation of cotton? (from plant to garment)

Several stages are involved in the transformation of cotton between the time it is grown and the clothes in our closets.
First, it has to be grown. The cotton plant thrives in warm, humid regions. It cannot survive temperatures below 5°C. To grow properly, the cotton plant first needs plenty of water, followed by dry weather to encourage the bolls to open. Some crops are rain-fed, but in some very arid regions, fields must be irrigated. It is a very fragile plant, and therefore not very resistant to certain diseases (viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.). It therefore requires the use of large quantities of fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and herbicides. Transgenic cottons have been developed to reduce the use of these products and increase yields.
Under favorable conditions, the cotton plant reaches full maturity in around 6 to 7 months. At this stage, it will have developed walnut-sized capsules, each enclosing several seeds surrounded by numerous white fibers.
Although white fibers have become the preferred color over time, there are still naturally colored varieties in shades of brown, green, parma, yellow or red. However, they are rarely cultivated, as their fibers are short and difficult to exploit, there are few colors to choose from, and production costs are too high.

The cotton is then harvested when the bolls open, revealing a ball of absorbent cotton. On most farms today, harvesting is mechanized, requiring the prior application of a defoliating treatment to reduce the presence of plant debris in the fibers. Depending on the machine, either all bolls are removed, or only the open ones. This method harvests between 800 kg and 1400 kg of cotton per hour.
In some countries, cotton is still picked by hand, sorting the fibers and removing impurities. With this method, around 30 kg of pure cotton is harvested every day by the farmer.

After harvesting, the cotton must first be dried in the sun for several days (or artificially, using a stream of hot air). It is then ginned, i.e. the fibers are separated from the seeds, and any stubborn impurities are removed using the cotton gin, the ginning machine.
The fiber is then condensed into bales, which are then graded according to cotton fiber attributes (length, color, strength, etc.).

Next comes the spinning process, which involves 5 stages.
The bales are cleaned, then the longest fibers are placed in a carding machine to remove the last of the plant debris. Next, the yarns are untangled and stretched to form long ribbons called "rovings". These are elongated and refined on drawing benches. This is called stretching. Then, thanks to a device called "spinning", the rovings are twisted, which refines them and transforms the fibers into stronger yarns. Finally, several single yarns of the same type or of different materials are twisted together.
Weaving then involves assembling the threads on a loom to form the fabric.
The fabric can then undergo a number of finishing treatments to make it softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer, softer. However, these processes require a lot of chemicals. From these mills, the fabric will emerge to create the garments you want.

Is cotton compatible with ethical and responsible fashion?

Cotton can vary greatly in quality, and is not always compatible with ethical and responsible fashion. Several criteria need to be taken into consideration to be able to measure its ecological impact.
First of all, we need to look at the cultivation process. As explained above, cotton requires a lot of water to grow (2,700 liters are needed to produce one T-shirt). When the land is rain-fed, only rainwater is used. However, when cotton is grown on arid land, astronomical volumes of water have to be irrigated. Water from rivers, lakes and other aquifers is diverted, while the main producing regions of China and India already have limited access to fresh water. Cotton is also highly susceptible to external diseases, so it needs to be protected by numerous pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and other treatments. It is even the most pesticide-intensive crop, covering only 2.5% of the world's agricultural surface but consuming 11% of all pesticides. It also requires a lot of chemical fertilizers, which seep into the water table and encourage the proliferation of algae.

In addition to cotton's high environmental impact, the working conditions of its farmers are another factor to be taken into account. Its production frequently involves forced and child labor, particularly in Africa and Asia, where this is very common on small, labor-intensive farms. What's more, not all pesticides disappear after use. Both workers and local residents living near cotton fields are seeing their health deteriorate as a result of the use of these chemicals. They spread through the soil and water, polluting the land in these regions over the long term and causing major health problems. Every year, nearly a million people are poisoned and 22,000 die as a result of the cultivation of this material.

Alternatives to conventionally harvested cotton are possible to make it more ethical.
Organic fair-trade cotton production represents a serious alternative. Indeed, it's mainly the use of pesticides that makes cotton growing so harmful to the environment and workers' health. So it's "enough" to grow organic cotton without pesticides, by working upstream on crop monitoring and biological pest control. Without the use of all these harmful products, cotton is without risk to the health of consumers and growers, is environmentally friendly and does not deplete ecosystem resources.

There are various labels certifying organic and fair-trade cottons, such as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), Okeo-Tex Standard 100, Ecocert and others. The best is GOTS, which is the most comprehensive and guarantees both the strict use of organic materials and respect for social and ethical standards in garment manufacture.

Another alternative is to buy your cotton clothes from second hand or from our Eco x ception selection, which would reduce your environmental footprint.

How to care for cotton?

Cotton is present in many textiles. So it's important to know these tips to care for your clothes and keep them as long as possible.
If you want to machine-wash cotton, it's best to clean any stains with Marseille soap or your usual detergent before putting it through the machine.

Cotton can be washed at 60°, but to avoid shrinkage it's best to wash at 30°.
Add a few drops of white vinegar to the rinsing liquid to remove soap residues embedded in the fabric fibers and prevent yellowing.
If you prefer hand washing, use Marseille soap. But first of all, make sure your garment doesn't fade. Here's a little trick to make sure it doesn't: soak a cotton bud in warm water and run it over the different colors of cotton. If they fade, machine-wash them with an anti-fading wipe. If they don't fade, wash by hand and rinse well to avoid any traces of soap in the fabric fibers.

To prevent garments from shrinking or wrinkling too much, mix them with other fibers.
When it comes to drying, there are several options. You can air-dry the fabric, which will then return to its original shape once dry. If the fabric is patterned, dry it inside out, as this will prevent the sun from dulling it.
Tumble-drying is also possible, but only at low or medium temperature. Too high a temperature could damage the fibers.


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