Organic cotton and its benefits compared to conventional cotton

Cotton, organic or conventional, is a natural fiber that has been used for centuries to make all types of clothing.

The popularity of “white gold” in the textile sector is due to its lightness, breathability and high capacity to absorb dyes, properties that other natural or synthetic fibers do not have.

Without a doubt, the profitability of cotton marketing (especially in denim clothing ) is very high, as demonstrated by the fact that more than 20% of textile companies worldwide use it as their main raw material.

However, it is worth remembering that the cotton used by these companies is not organic, but rather one produced in an unethical manner towards the environment and, in many cases, towards the workers of the cotton plantations and factories.

For this reason, organic cotton is presented as a real and sustainable alternative to traditional or conventional cotton, both for its properties (even better than those of conventional cotton) and for its responsible and ethical production.

At Bustins Jeans, as a sustainable denim fashion brand, we are more than convinced of the advantages of organic cotton when it comes to handcrafting our denim clothing for women and denim clothing for men .

Conventional cotton and the consequences of its production

Conventional cotton is still a natural fiber, therefore, it is not derived from petroleum, it does not generate plastic waste and its degradation time is moderately acceptable.

However, the negative consequences of conventional cotton production derive from its intensive and localized cultivation, the use of pesticides and other chemical agents, the use of genetically modified seeds and, especially, the use of enormous amounts of water.

Regarding the latter, if we take into account that, with the exception of the United States, the main cotton-producing countries are developing countries where access to drinking water is very limited, the social impact of cotton production is unquestionable. .

The advantages of organic cotton over conventional cotton

The advantages of organic cotton over conventional cotton are numerous , not only in terms of quality, but also in all aspects surrounding its production, from the seed to the final sale of the garments.

The responsible cultivation of organic cotton

Conventional cotton is grown intensively on the same land, which reduces the amount of nutrients in the soil and makes the use of fertilizers more necessary.

In addition, the fibers are born weaker, so they require more water to reach an acceptable quality for subsequent collection and treatment.

Organic cotton, for its part, is planted on different lands on a rotational basis (fallow). In this way, the land “rests” and can recover its nutrients, thus reducing the need for fertilizer and water, and producing organic cotton of higher quality than conventional cotton.

Non-genetically modified seeds

In the agri-food sector it is common to use modified seeds to make plants more resistant to pests and pesticides. However, this is an unethical practice.

Organic cotton seeds have not been genetically modified , and no pesticides are used to protect it from pests.

Instead, other methods of fighting them are used, such as other insects that kill them but do not damage the organic cotton plants.

Organic cotton production does not use polluting chemicals

Conventional cotton production uses polluting chemicals for planting and growing the plant, as well as heavy metals to make dyes.

On the other hand, the production of organic cotton uses substitutes for chemical dyes and bleaches. For example, peroxide is widely used for bleaching organic cotton fibers.

Organic cotton purity level

Organic cotton is picked entirely by hand. This form of collection preserves the purity of each fiber, as they suffer less damage during the process.

Thanks to the higher quality (and length) of its fibers, organic cotton is much softer and more durable than conventional cotton, whose fibers tend to deteriorate more when collected by machinery.

Ethical working conditions

Four of the main cotton producers in the world are developing countries, in decreasing order of tonnage/year, India, China, Brazil and Pakistan (the fifth country, as we said above, is the United States, whose annual production is places in the middle of the table).

Unfortunately, it is assumed that the working conditions in the first four are not the best, so the production of conventional cotton (as well as other types of raw materials) is done without respecting basic workers' rights: salary, vacations, safety, hygiene, health coverage, etc.

In fact, there are many cases of labor exploitation (including children) that have come to light in recent years, cases related to the production of cotton for big brands that we all know.

For its part, the production of organic cotton ensures fair working conditions that respect international standards.

Initiatives in favor of organic cotton

With the aim of alleviating the harmful consequences derived from traditional cotton production, initiatives have emerged to conserve the environment and improve working conditions in cotton producing plants.

Two of these initiatives are the OCS (Organic Content Standard) and the GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), which, although with different evaluation criteria, are responsible for verifying aspects related to the natural quality of cotton, the means of production, to logistics and working conditions, among others.

Organic cotton, raw material for slow fashion

Its excellent properties, added to its ethical production, make organic cotton the raw material par excellence of slow fashion , an approach opposite to the fast fashion of brands that use conventional cotton to make garments that will end up in the trash after a few uses. .

And, thanks to organic cotton, we can make women's jeans , men's jeans and any denim garment with higher quality, more durable and more responsible.

For this reason, at Bustins Jeans we always use national organic cotton producers , thus ensuring the origin of this fabric and the ethical conditions in which it has been produced.

It is true that it would be more profitable to make garments with conventional cotton. But we do not want to compete with big fashion brands that make more profits with unethical or unethical practices.

Rather, we want to be the denim fashion brand our planet needs.

See Denim Clothing