What's the Difference between Traditional Cotton and Organic Cotton?

Well, first let’s look at plain old cotton. It’s the most universally comfortable, breathable and softest of all the fibers, natural or man-made. Cotton only uses about 3% of the farmland, but the farmers use more then 25% pesticides on it then any other crop, except for coffee. (Doesn’t say much about our coffee…) With this excessive use of fertilizers, cotton production has led to environmental pollution. Many of these chemicals that are sprayed on cotton are known to cause cancer in humans. The average cotton T-shirt is only 73% cotton fiber; the rest is chemicals and resins.

So far from my understanding, traditional cotton has a heavy dose of pesticides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers which have been known to cause allergies, respiratory problems, and even cancer.

On the other hand, organic cotton does not involve the use of harsh chemicals and pesticides, therefore causing fewer allergies, respiratory problems, and a healthier life for farmers. All the chemicals in the soil have poisoned the farmers before, but with the organic certified fields, the farmers have not been experiencing as many issues.

Organic clothing is popular among infants and children due to their developing skin being more sensitive to the health risks posed from chemicals and pesticides. But why stop there? Yes, our children need to be well taken care of, but what about us. We need to continue treating ourselves to these healthy choices and teach our children this is the healthier way to live.

Well the NFL took a step in the right direction this year. The championship t-shirts worn by the Pittsburgh Steelers this year right after the super bowl were made of 100% organic cotton. These t-shirts are then sold to the fans and are one of the highest-selling NFL products of the year. Reebok made the t-shirts using organic yarn and the tags were made from recycled material and green stitching inside the neck seam identified the shirts as official.

Organic cotton increased 33% last year and is expected to increase 24% this year. This is good news for the certified organic cotton farmers. Hopefully, this will persuade the rest of the farmers to get their farms certified. Certification requires the land to be chemically free for at least 3 years. USDA regulates organic cotton as a food product, and they say less than one tenth of an ounce of pesticides are used per 100 lbs. of cotton.

When buying organic clothing, one need to make sure the finished product is also organically made. This includes the dying, finishing and sewing process. Dyes can be made from plants and natural vegetables and do not need harsh chemicals like previously.

We need to realign our buying habits to seek quality and longevity, not just the latest trends. We need to focus on the importance of our planet rather then how we look.