The first thing that most people think of when they hear the word organic is unfortunately still, Hippie! ... But fortunately many people are starting to realize that there is only one earth that we need to be more careful with than we are now to be. Many companies do not feel responsible for the rest of the world and pollute the world more than they clean up. We as Good Bandits believe that everything you take from the world should also give back in some form. And the least we can do as a clothing brand is to use organic fabrics. But what does organic cotton really mean?
First we would like to tell you more about cotton in general.
It all started sometime sometime in 12,000 BC, researcher claim that the Egyptians were already using cotton back then. Cotton originates from a cotton plant, on which the cotton fiber grows in a seed-fluffy form.
Cotton cultures
During the cultivation of this plant, there should actually not be a frost period. The plant needs a lot of sun and heat and a moderate rainfall of around 600 to 1200 mm per year. To give you a better picture, we have an average rainfall of 850 mm per year in the Netherlands and it should rain about 10% of the time.
This plant is often grown in tropical areas. This is of course not the best choice because a lot of water (irrigation) must be taken from the environment. Also, more irrigation needs to be added every year because the soil is getting drier. As a result, farmers are forced to grow nothing for 1 year after 5 years because the land is unusable. If you look at the economic aspect, it is cheaper to grow cotton in these countries. On the other hand, farmers and workers are not paid well, so slavery is still used in a certain sense. We will be extending an entire blog here in the future .
Fully usable
The seed and fluff must be separated from the seed-fluffy cotton fibers.
Fortunately, everything from the plant is used. The seed sleeve is processed as animal feed or fuel. The seeds are used to make new plants or oils. The cotton fluff is dried to make the hair stronger. After the cotton has dried, thread can then be woven with it. And various weaving techniques are used to make a fabric out of this thread. And we can make our clothes from these fabrics. Cotton as a finished product has often traveled more than 15,000 km.
What does organic cotton mean?
As you can read above, cotton plant is not the easiest plant to grow, many chemicals and pesticides are used in cotton cultivation. These are very bad for humans, animals and the environment.
Organic Cotton / Organic.
In organic cotton cultivation, therefore, no use is made of these chemicals and pesticides, but use is made of natural pesticides. Crops are also changed every year so that the quality of the soil remains good. As a result, you have a low impact on the environment, humans and animals. But not only when growing the organic cotton should the impact be considered! We look at the entire production chain from cultivation to end product. If you want to sell organic cotton, you always have to meet high and strict requirements.
Now you may be wondering, does this really make a big difference? On average, up to 60% of water will save on a normal T-shirt where normally 2000 liters are used, and therefore only 800 thanks to organic cotton. Apart from that, there are also the advantages of the environment for humans and animals. Calculate your profit.
Properties Cotton as a fabric?
Cotton is very durable and can therefore be very durable, if you buy a good garment and proper maintenance. We always recommend that you buy an organic cotton garment.
It feels soft on your skin.
It breathes well and is moisture absorbent.
Minus point is wrinkle sensitive.
Bad for the environment, humans and animals due to the toxins used to process the cotton.
Benefits of organic cotton.
You can't actually see a difference with the naked eye, but you can feel it.
Organic cotton is often of a higher quality because it has not been in contact with toxins. Due to the toxins used with traditional cotton, the cotton needs to be washed more often to get the poison out, which means that 1200 liters of water are consumed more on one T-shirt. Then still micro-poisonous fibers are present on the T-shirt. This is not possible with organic cotton and is therefore better suited for people with slightly sensitive skin. Frequent washing of traditional cotton makes the cotton less strong than organic cotton.
Our Conclusion
Perhaps organic cotton is not the best solution, but it is certainly a good step in the right direction. Alternative better substances should certainly be considered. We as Good Bandits focus on everyday sustainable fashion. We strive to take several good steps in the future.
Honesty is the best policy.
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Also take a look at our range of organic cotton shirts.
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