What is Organic Cotton & Why We Should Use It: UK Update

We know that being sustainable protects the planet, but organic cotton fabric products are more than just sustainable; they are also gentle on people’s skin. We explore these natural cotton fibres and fabrics and discover why organic cotton is such an excellent sustainable choice.

Currently, the world is doing its utmost to be more sustainable and sustain the planet for future generations. We know how important it is to be environmentally friendly, so let's discuss organic cotton. Here, we've compiled a comprehensive guide on this type cotton fabric type and why it’s a more sustainable choice. We also discuss how we produce cotton and what makes a cotton textile organic and sustainable.People have always believed that cotton material is good quality and that a 100% cotton textile is an excellent choice. Today, great quality is not enough reason for a person to shop for cotton material, no matter what cotton brand you look at, whether you’re searching for a cotton fashion item or new home accessories. 

We are all aware of being more sustainable these days. For example, we think that all fabric is “excellent” when it’s organic and sustainable.
As designers and human beings, it’s essential we protect our planet. We use the term “organic food” religiously 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 both organic cotton and organic food crops. 

People have always believed that cotton material is good quality and that a 100% cotton textile is an excellent choice. Today, great quality is not enough reason for a person to shop for cotton material, no matter what cotton brand you look at, whether you’re searching for a cotton fashion item or new home accessories. 
We are all aware of being more sustainable these days. For example, we think that all fabric is “excellent” when it’s organic and sustainable.

As designers and human beings, it’s essential we protect our planet. We use the term “organic food” religiously 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 both organic cotton and organic food crops. 

What Organic Cotton Means

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

GOTS focuses on changing how we grow organic cotton crops to ensure organic cotton is produced using fabric production methods with a low impact on the environment. The plan is 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 excellent soil quality.

According to GOTS, organic cotton farms should produce cotton material using only natural methods and water. These organic cotton plants require less water to grow and farming keeps the soil quality high, while also limiting soil erosion.

OK, so being sustainable helps the planet, but these sustainable cotton products are also more gentle on peoples’ skins. Let’s look at these sustainable cotton textile items and discover why organic cotton is a great sustainable choice.
We explain why this fabric is more sustainable, how organic cotton is produced and what makes a textile sustainable.

GOTS Certification 

GOTS recommends farms use non-genetically modified seeds to grow organic cotton plants. This all began in the United States in the 1980s, when farmers began using more sustainable agricultural methods. Since then, these organic farming systems have become popular worldwide. Natural techniques like these produce environmentally friendly cotton material that is extremely sought-after.

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

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

Organic Cotton Updates 2026

The Organic Cotton Summit 

Held at the beginning of June in Istanbul, The Organic Cotton Summit was hosted by the Textile Exchange and the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA). It was attended by 270 delegates from 24 different countries who had “the opportunity to share their lived experience and practical insights, showing the industry’s continued commitment to collaboration, resilience and collective action”.

During the Summit, participants explored “how to strengthen trust, build resilience, unlock investments, and scale organic cotton systems that are fair, viable and fit for the future”. Featuring discussions led by farmers, regional dialogues and practical workshops, the “conversations reflected both the challenges facing the sector and the collective determination to address them”.

The Aftermath of the 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge

The 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge was run by the Textile Exchange. This unique initiative is the first industry commitment on sustainable cotton where companies committed to ensuring that 100% of the cotton they use comes from more sustainable sources by 2025. The Textile Exchange then compiled a set of Commitments that will launch this year, with the focus on increasing the textile industry’s use of more sustainable cotton. The aim? To source 100% of cotton material from small farms to boost their income, and ensure the fabric was grown using methods involving less harmful pesticides and fertilisers. 

When the Challenge was initiated six years ago, only 30% of all cotton used in the fabric industry was grown organically. The aim was to increase that 30% to 50% by the end of 2025 to ensure cotton is more sustainable, and less harmful to the planet.

According to the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA), their 2025 Sustainable Cotton Challenge was “as challenging as it was exciting”. It focused on “influencing key policy decisions, building partnerships, and keeping organic a force for positive change”.

Their 2026 focus will “build on last year’s progress by connecting policymakers with farmers’ realities, translating field-based expertise into actionable policy recommendations and maintaining high ambition for sustainability in public policy”. 

The OCA is “deepening its policy engagement in key cotton-producing regions”, especially India and Pakistan. “Our work centres on building relationships, understanding national policy priorities, and identifying opportunities to strengthen the… organic cotton environment,” it claims. 

The GOTS Ultimate Guide for Ethical Fashion

After a three-year revision process, GOTS released an updated Version 8.0 in March, 2026, which “strengthens requirements for air emissions and water management, as well as criteria for product safety”. It includes “new provisions on circularity, microfibre management and updates in residue testing”.

Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC)

People are taking note of ROC, a standard requirement that sits alongside GOTS and includes “soil health and carbon sequestration requirements”. It’s considered to be the next tier after “organic”. Let’s see where it goes from there…

Anti Green-Washing Rules

Although the EU's Green Claims Directive was withdrawn by the European Commission in mid-2025, a number of anti-greenwashing rules will be enforced on 27 September, 2026, in a separate legislation. Entitled The Empowering Consumers of the Green Transition Directive (2024/825), which was passed in March this year, it provides “substantive prohibitions on greenwashing” It now requires substantiation for environmental marketing claims; generic "eco-friendly" labelling without certification could face penalties. 

Striking Statistics 

In its Organic Cotton Market Overview, Business Research Insights predicts the following: “In 2026, the global organic cotton market was valued at £1,646 billion; it’s projected to reach £7,564 billion by 2035.” 

The reason for this growth? According to the Overview, it’s expanding “due to rising demand for chemical-free textiles, sustainable apparel production, and certified agricultural practices across 82 countries”. Long may this last. 

5 Reasons to Choose Organic Cotton Textiles

1. Producing This Cotton Type Is Sustainable

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

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

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

Natural farm methods include introducing insects to control pests instead of relying on synthetic pesticides. The organic farmers also use natural processes to enhance the soil instead of fossil fuel-based fertilisers. In addition, organic cotton farmers have found environmentally friendly ways to save drinking water and use alternative water (see below).

This certification covers another important sustainable aspect of organic cotton crops. GOTS also ensures cotton farm workers work in tolerable, humane environments.

2. A Cotton That's Gentler on the Skin  

Imagine you’re allergic and have purchased a 100% cotton fashion garment, towels, or bedding. The reason you have an allergy 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 cotton material also has chemicals. But when organic cotton material is produced, no chemicals are used. Organic cotton products including bed linen, sleepwear, and other fashion or leisure garments are natural and hypoallergenic. This means that people with sensitive skin can wear and use these cotton items.

When you purchase any of maake's selection of fabrics you know that we've ensured they are chemically safe and originate from responsible suppliers. We also ensure we use less water in the printing process when we print on an organic cotton material.

3. Cotton That's Softer, Stronger & Lasts Longer

Organic cotton textiles are extremely comfortable and durable, which is why they are used to make fashion clothes and numerous products for babies and young children.

These cotton textiles are natural, gentle on the skin, and feel soft to the touch. They may cost more to purchase, but this isn’t always the case. However, even if they are more expensive, people are happy to pay extra for the cotton’s luxurious feel and benefits.

Organic cotton fabric is soft because it has a longer fiber than standard cotton. As we hand-pick organic cotton, we ensure the fiber doesn’t break like conventional cotton fibre. 

4. More Sustainable, Biodiverse Cotton

As cotton plants need plenty of water to grow, organic cotton farms have found ways to reduce the use of drinking water. Instead, they collect rainwater to water the plants. Currently, rainwater is being used instead of drinking water to water 60 to 80% of organic crops globally.

Research shows that soil nourished without harmful chemicals doesn’t need as much water. 

If you'd like more information on the subject, read our take on Social Responsibility and sustainability. You can also read a fascinating blog that discusses how we save water in our Digital Textile Printing process, an innovative method that uses no water at all.

5. Organic Material Prevents Global Warming by Reducing Carbon Emissions

Climate change is negatively affecting people and the planet. It has caused numerous weather shifts, including temperature changes and extreme weather patterns. 

Unfortunately, our society and habits are to blame for this. Since the 19th century, we’ve used fossil fuels (coal, gas, and oil) to modernise our world. We didn't realise we were harming the environment, but we are now aware that we're releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) into the atmosphere. 

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

Certified Organic Materials

Several global organisations have created strict standards to measure whether cotton is certified organic or not. They also measure whether farms grow organic cotton sustainably, without chemicals, and with less water.

These organisations include Fair Trade UK and the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), which we elaborated on above. They operate globally, including in the United States, Europe, and the UK. 
These standards measure how manufacturers produce organic cotton material. They also cover the colourants used to dye the cotton cloth and the supply chains involved in the organic cotton trade. All of this has to be transparent and sustainable. The organisations then rate these methods accordingly. 

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

We compiled an extensive blog on Textile Certifications for you to refer to, so why not take a look.

The Other Side of the Cotton Story

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

We know that organic cotton produces less than conventional cotton from the same amount of land. We need 25% more land to yield the same amount of organic cotton as the ‘normal’ variety. 

The world is running out of space, so farming needs to be more sustainable. 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 used for growing conventional cotton. 

Genetically Modified 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 type of textile also produces healthy soil that doesn’t require fertiliser.

We’ve mentioned that organic cotton is more expensive to produce than regular cotton.

The reason is that the cultivation process is more complicated and the crop yield is less. There are also environmental and social issues; the latter is a global issue that involves low wages and bad working conditions for labourers. 

Is Selecting Organic Fabric a Must for Your Printing?

At maake, we provide sustainable material to print on, including over 18 types of organic cotton fabric. We stock both organic and natural products, such as cotton and linen. 

These days, many materials are considered to be sustainable. However, these materials are often in short supply, and their prices rise and fall. For this reason, you need to be open-minded when you choose the material you wish to print on. 

The Digital Printing Methods maake uses don't require any water. These methods also use less energy than a bathroom radiator (and that energy is 100% renewable energy). 

These methods also create no more than a thimbleful of waste ink per 1km of printing.  All inks we use meet GOTS 6.0 and Oeko Tex™ Class 1 standards. This means your fabrics have passed stringent standards and are sustainable and safe for infants and kids.

Farming Naturally in the Future

Take note of the information below, 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 support 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 Organic Material & Blends at maake

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

• o    Organic Calico Natural: This is an organic, unbleached version of our cotton Panama textile stock. These unbleached textiles print beautifully; colours appear lighter and muted. The cotton material, which is GOTS-certified, has slight imperfections.
  o    Organic Drill Optic: This organic cotton fabric is often used for dresses, tailored and casual garments, cushions, tea towels, aprons and other home accessories. It’s a great utility fabric, strong and durable with a tight diagonal twill weave prominent on the white print face, which adds an appealing quality. 
  o    Organic Drill Natural: An organic, unbleached cotton fabric, perfect for dresses, clothing, cushions and home accessories. Its tight diagonal twill weave is prominent on the print face, which adds an appealing quality to the final printed product. Strong and hard-wearing, the fabric has a slightly speckled, natural appearance.
  o    Organic Blossom Muslin Gauze: This 100% organic cotton plain weave material is certified safe for kids’ use. It’s a light, airy fabric that’s extremely versatile, great for summer garments and accessories. The double fabric layer adds to the fabric’s absorbency, so it’s ideal for mopping up after little ones. Print face and backing are identical, and the white base produces vibrant colours when printed.
  o    Organic Jasmine Iris Jersey:  Medium-weight, smooth-textured cotton lycra jersey knit fabric that is soft to the touch. Used for leggings, T-shirts and kids’ clothing. Digitally printed with vibrant colours and clear lines.
  o    Organic Jasmine Lycra Jersey: Medium-weight, smooth, knitted cotton lycra jersey with great stretch and recovery. Used for leggings, kids’ clothing and T-shirts.
  o    Organic Leve Panama Natural: Lighter than our popular natural Panama fabric, the fabric has a solid, sturdy woven structure and is extremely hard-wearing. Ideal for bags and home accessories like cushions and curtains. 
  o    Organic Optic Calico: This traditional fabric is the organic, bleached version of our popular Calico Cotton. It’s popular for crafts, quilting and homeware accessories such as cushions, aprons and light upholstery. The fabric’s natural composition produces slight imperfections
  o    Organic Panama Natural: The organic, unbleached version of our Panama fabric is very durable. It’s GOTS-certified and used for handbags and home accessories such as cushions and curtains. Because it’s unbleached, it may have slight imperfections and colours may appear more muted when printed.
  o    Organic Poplin: This is the organic cotton 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. The fabric prints beautifully.
  o    Organic Satin: The organic, lightweight version of our Satin fabric, this material is particularly popular for creating elegant home materials, bed linen, garments and accessories. It’s soft to the touch with an excellent handle, and boasts a smooth print face and luxurious feel. As the edges of the fabric tend to fray, finish it with a binding or overlock stick. Prints stunning bold print colours.
  o    Optic White Organic Panama: A hard-wearing organic, bleached cotton material, 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.
  

The above is an example of some of our organic cotton fabrics. Click to explore all of our organic cotton textiles and blends at maake

Please note: All of our organic cotton fabrics are printed in one of the most eco-friendly ways possible, using Digital Pigment inks. Our printing process requires no water, and uses around 95% less energy than traditional screen printing.