Cotton Consequences: The forwarding problem with cotton

Thrifting Project Team
Jul 20, 2020
3 min read

Updated: Jul 21, 2020

Our biodiversity has been slowly impairing from our earth and millions of people don’t even have a clue about the lack of information and awareness that is being given to this dilemma. However, people have been beginning to shed a light to this issue because of the prodigious change in our land waters. The fertilization and minerals that remain on cotton fields have been tarnishing lakes and wetlands by drying them out almost completely. If we continue to affect our biodiversity negatively, we will soon see a future that will be short on supplies along with millions of people increasingly being endangered by diseases and polluted areas.

Our bodies of water are crucial, and if this issue isn’t taken care of, sooner or later, we will be facing detrimental water difficulties that we will not be able to come back from without major consequences. This can become a severe issue to living organisms, aquatic ecosystems and to us!

Now let’s get started with one of the major industries that has been accounted for with dispersing one of the biggest landwaters: The “fast fashion” industry. Sadly, cotton is used frequently in the fast fashion industry. It takes about 10,000 liters of water to cultivate just one kilogram of raw cotton. This proves that cotton is a very consuming crop based on the large quantity of water required for it to be able to blossom. This problem has also appeared to play a big role in Central Asia, where the Aral Sea has practically evaporated because of how much cotton farmers used for these crops from the Amu Darya river; one of the largest inland waters in the world a. It is now being diverted to irrigate cotton farms, and therefore no longer reaching the Aral Sea, where it once led. If this continues,

many more inland waters will soon dry up from all of the cotton that is being produced each year. Millions of people can contribute to reducing the amount of cotton that is being used by diminishing the idea of buying “fast fashion” brands that have been forwarding this problem.

113 billion liters of water was used in clothes last year - imagine how much of that was intoxicat

ed because of the amount of cotton produced. Not only has this massively affected regions of water but it has spread to the point where people in India and Bangladesh are unable to drink their water because of the dye discharge that goes into their water systems. An astounding 5.9 trillion liters of water is used on fabric dye each year alone! It’s extremely devastating to know that this is how much water is “required” to make fabric dye. People can start making a change to this global issue by reducing these numbers. You can help by donating your clothes to the local

salvation army district, start repairing your clothes to make them last longer or going to one of our Weekly challenges in the "CHALLENGES" section (go ahead and have a peek, I know you want to ;)), or even head out to a thrift store; bring your friends along, pick & choose small neat treasures that may last you longer than expected, even if it makes the littlest difference. This will not only lessen the demand for more cotton production, but also increase the average life of one piece of clothing.

If you are interested to know some textiles that can be used instead of cotton, feel free to take a look down below!

Alternative fabrics/ or textiles:

Sustainable Bamboo - this type of grass is attainable to grow without any water required! It also enhances the fertility of the soil and prevents soil erosions. The only downside to this grass is the process of making it into a texticle but there is an alternative to that matter, a “mechanical” process has been discovered that can make the bamboo turn linen which is safer and less harmful to the environment and people making the textiles!
Hemp - Hemp is stronger than cotton & also more adaptable to the environment, it requires less water & less flexibility in land but manpower would be more necessary since it’s such a sturdy crop.
Linen - Linen uses up less water, pesticides, fertilizers...etc than cotton and polyester. Linen is not organically grown but can restrain polluted soil & can also grow in poor soil which can give food production a greater advantage!
Lyocell - Lyocell is 100% believed to be biodegradable meaning it can be decompasable, Eucalyptus trees can grow much faster than cotton without the use of pesticides and irrigations.