What is Organic Cotton and Why Should we Use This Cotton Type?

Being sustainable helps the planet, but organic cotton products are also gentle to people. Let's look at these sustainable products and discover why organic cotton is a great sustainable choice.

The world is focusing on being sustainable and preserving the planet. We're all aware of the importance of being environmentally friendly, so let's discuss organic cotton in detail. We've compiled a guide on why this fabric is more sustainable. We also disicuss how we produce cotton and what makes a textile organic and sustainable.

People have always believed that cotton material is good quality and that 100% cotton textile is an excellent choice. These days, great quality is not enough reason for people to shop for cotton material. The problem is the same problem, no matter what cotton brand you're looking at. It makes no difference whether you are looking for a cotton shirt or home accessories. 

We all consider being more sustainable these days. For example, we consider fabric 'excellent' when it's organic and sustainable.

As designers and human beings, we need to protect our planet. We use the term ‘organic food’ to describe produce that we have grown sustainably. In the same way, we also produce ‘organic cotton’ in a sustainable way. And we use fewer chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers, and less water to produce organic cotton crops. 

What is organic cotton?

Let's define organic cotton fabric. This is how the Global Organic Textile Standards, also known as GOTS, describes it. This organisation has created the green (eco) standard for producing Organic Cotton Textiles.

GOTS focuses on changing the way we grow organic cotton crops. To make sure cotton is grown using methods that have a low impact on the environment. They want us to grow cotton plants without using synthetic chemicals in fertilisers and pesticides. Organic cotton plants need less water to grow in the soil and natural farm methods ensure the quality of the soil is excellent, too.

According to GOTS, organic cotton farmers need to produce cotton fabric using natural methods and natural water. These cotton plants require less water to grow. And the farming keeps the quality of the soil high, while also limiting soil erosion.

GOTS recommends farms use non-genetically modified seeds to grow organic cotton plants. It all started in the United States in the 1980s, when farmers began using more sustainable agricultural methods. Since then, these farming methods have become popular worldwide. Natural methods like these create an environmentally friendly form of cotton material that has become extremely covetable.

However, you must be aware that producing organic cotton material is more expensive, as organic textile production costs more. These methods use less water and no harmful chemicals. Also, organic cotton plants don’t yield as much material as conventional cotton ones.

Despite this, there are plenty of advantages to choosing organic cotton fabric. For instance, organic cotton materials have proved to be softer than conventional cotton materials. Organic cotton products are more comfortable and often made to a higher quality than normal cotton fashion clothing. Producers don't use harmful chemicals to make organic cotton material, so parents use it for children's and babies' clothing.

5 Reasons to choose organic cotton fabrics

1. Producing this cotton is sustainable and ethical

All the production systems for organic cotton yarn are natural, sustainable, ethical and free of chemicals. 

To grow an organic cotton plant, farmers have to fertilise the soil in a particular way. They do not use genetically engineered seeds to produce organic cotton fibres. This natural agricultural method also uses chemical-free pesticides and an irrigation system that requires less water. This is a more sustainable solution to growing cotton long term.

Farms that grow certified organic cotton are sustainable organic farms. Also, these farms don't use harmful chemicals. Farmers have had to find natural methods to produce the same results without harming the environment. This includes using less water to grow the organic cotton plants.

Natural farm methods include introducing insects to control pests instead of using synthetic pesticides. The farmers also use natural methods to enhance the soil rather than fossil fuel based fertilisers. In addition, organic cotton farmers have found environmentally friendly methods to save drinking water and use alternative water.

GOTS covers another important sustainable aspect to organic cotton crops. The organisation also makes sure that farm workers work in tolerable, humane environments.

2. This cotton is gentler on the skin  

Let's say you have purchased a 100% cotton product, perhaps fashion clothing, towels or bedding, and you find that you're allergic. The reason for this is directly related to how farmers produce the fabric. Or perhaps it's because the farmers exposed the cotton to toxic chemical substances like pesticides.

Most cotton material producers use harmful chemicals. Sometimes the dye they use to colour the material also has chemicals in it.

We produce organic cotton material without using any chemicals. Organic cotton products like bed linen, sleepwear and other fashion or leisure garments are natural and hypoallergenic. This means that people with sensitive skin can use them.

When you purchase any of maake's fabrics you know that we've made sure they are chemically safe and come from responsible suppliers. We also make sure that we use less water in the printing procerss when we print on an organic cotton material.

3. It's softer, stronger and lasts longer

These organic cotton textiles are so comfortable and durable. That's why we use these textiles to make fashion clothes and other products for babies and young children.

These textiles are natural, they are gentle on the skin and feel soft to the touch. They may cost more, but this is not always the case. However, even when they do cost more, many people are happy to pay extra for their luxurious feel.

Organic cotton material is soft because it has a longer fiber than standard cotton. As we hand-pick organic cotton we ensure that the fiber doesn’t break like a conventional cotton fibre does. Its texture is luxurious too.

4. More sustainable, biodiverse cotton 

As cotton plants need lots of water to grow, organic cotton farmers have found ways to reduce drinking water. They collect rainwater instead to use for the plants. They now use rainwater instead of drinking water to water 81% of organic cotton crops.

Research shows that farms save 91% on irrigation, too. In fact, soil nourished without harmful chemicals doesn’t need as much water. 

This is how we make organic cotton and how this type of cotton is creating a more sustainable ecosystem. If you'd like more information on the subject, see maake’s take on social responsibility and being more sustainable. You can read our blog that describes how we save water in our digital textile printing process. This innovative process uses no water at all.

5. Organic fabric prevents global warming by reducing carbon emissions

Climate change is negatively affecting people and the planet. It has caused several weather shifts such as temperature changes and extreme weather patterns. 

Unfortunately, our society and habits are to blame for these situations. Since the 19th century, we’ve used plenty of fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) to modernise our world. 

We didn't reallise that we were harming the environment. But now that we're aware, we're releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere. 

Producing organic cotton emits 50% less carbon dioxide than standard cotton growing. That's just another reason you should shop for sustainable cotton material! 

Certified organic materials: GOTS and Oeko Tex

Several global organisations have created strict standards to measure whether cotton is organic or not. They also measure whether farms grow the cotton sustainably, without chemicals and with less water. These organisations include Fair Trade UK and the Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS, which we mentioned above. They operate all over the world, including in the United States, Europe and the UK. 

These standards measure how manufacturers make the cotton material. It also covers the colourants they use to dye the cloth and the supply chains involved in the cotton trade. These methods need to be transparent and sustainable. The organisations then have these methods rated accordingly. 

GOTS has specific standards that check whether cotton crops are organic or not. They focus on the environment, saving water and farmers’ livelihoods.

See our blog on textile certifications here.

The other side to the organic cotton story

As in life, nothing in organic cotton production is perfect.

We are aware that organic cotton produces less than conventional cotton from the same amount of land. In fact, we need 25% more land to yield the same amount of organic cotton as the regular cotton variety. 

The world is running out of space, so farmers need to find other solutions. Deforestation is not the answer, as this would cause even more global warming. 

Sometimes producing organic cotton involves using natural pesticides. The chemicals in these pesticides can also harm the environment. Some natural pesticides use more toxic chemicals than synthetic pesticides that people used for growing conventional cotton. 

Genetically modified cotton plants

When we produce organic cotton we don't genetically modify the material. This can be a good thing, but it has its disadvantages. Genetically modified cotton is resistant to pests, so we don’t need pesticides. This kind of cotton also produces healthy soil that doesn’t need fertiliser. 

We discussed that organic cotton is more expensive to produce than normal cotton. The reason is that the cultivation process is more complicated and the crop yield is less. 

In addition, there are environmental and social issues. The social aspect is a global issue; it involves low wages and bad working conditions for labourers. 

Is selecting organic fabric a must for your printing?

At maake provide sustainable material to print on, including over 15 types of organic cotton fabric. We stock both organic and natural products such as linen and hemp. 

These days, we consider many materials to be sustainable. However, these magterials are often in short supply, and their prices go up and down. For this reason, you need to be open-minded when you choose the material you want to print on. 

The digital printing methods maake uses don't need any water. These methods also require less energy than a bathroom radiator (and that energy is 100% renewable energy). These methods create no more than a thimble of waste ink per 1km of printing. 

All the inks we use meet GOTS 6.0 and Oeko tex Class 1 standards. This means that your materials have passed stringent standards and are sustainable and safe for infants.

The future of cotton

Remember this and make better choices when you choose cotton material and cotton garments for products for personal use:

·       Organic cotton farming reduces greenhouse gas emissions dramatically. It also has several other positive environmental, social and health benefits.

·       Globally, designers, manufacturers and retailers are supporting organic cotton production. They are aware that this type of material is more sustainable. They also know organic cotton will benefit the planet and future generations.

Shop cotton organic fabric and fabric blends at maake

Add some of these organic cotton fabrics and textile blends when you shop…

• Optic White Organic Panama: This hard-wearing organic, bleached material has GOTS certification. Similar to our Panama textile, it's ideal for bags, curtains and home accessories. It resembles a midweight canvas material, and is also available with a natural base.
• Organic Calico Natural: This is the organic, unbleached version of our Panama fabric. These unbleached products print beautifully – colours appear lighter and muted. The material, which is GOTS-certified, has slight imperfections.
• Organic Jasmine Lycra Jersey: This soft cotton jersey material is good at stretching and recovering. Certified safe for kids, it's a great choice for children's clothing. People use the material to make leggings and T-shirts, too. Colours print a little lighter or muted than on polyester jersey material which is not organic material.
• Organic Lily Jersey: This soft cotton jersey material has a 4-way stretch. The medium weight makes it ideal for leggings, kids clothing and T-shirts. This organic material is easy to sew and colours print lighter and more muted. 
• Organic Panama Natural: This organic, unbleached material has GOTS certification. It's hard-wearing, making it perfect for bags, curtains and home accessories. The natural base prints beautifully. Also available with an optic white base.
• Organic Poplin: This is the organic version of our popular Cotton Poplin. It's light and smooth, so it's ideal for bed linen, crafts and fashion products (dresses, shirts and outer layers). You can use this textile year-round. Organic Poplin prints beautifully.
• Organic Satin: Lightweight and organic version of maake’s satin material. Perfect for bed linen, home fabrics, accessories and clothing. This organic fabric is soft with a smooth print face and luxurious texture. This textile prints beautifully, too.

Explore all cotton organic fabrics and blends at maake