By Steve Dalloway – Sleep Earthed
2nd April 2021
So when you think about cotton, do you think about the difference between regular cotton and organic cotton as a material ?
Organic cotton is cotton that is produced and certified to organic agricultural standards. It’s production sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people by using natural processes, rather than artificial inputs such as soil enhancers, inappropriate fertilisers and pesticides. Importantly organic cotton farming does not allow the use of toxic chemicals or GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Instead, it combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote a good quality of life for all involved.
So what’s the big deal with buying Organic Cotton over regular Cotton?
Well here are a few things that maybe might surprise you about Organic Cotton and why we only use this is our Sleep Earthed Bed Sheets.
It reduces the environmental footprint.
No toxic chemicals are used in the growing of organic cotton. It doesn’t damage the soil, has less impact on the air, and uses 88% less water and 62% less energy. Conventional cotton uses about 16% of the world’s insecticides and 7% of pesticides. Quite staggering statistics…..
It promotes safer working practices and improved livelihoods.
Growing organic cotton keeps farmers and their families safe. They are not exposed to toxic chemicals in the field or through their food and water supply. It also means farmers grow more than one crop which supplements their food and income.
Reduces water usage in production.
By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population are likely to face water shortages. This will be most likely be in the developing countries. But organic cotton is 80% rain-fed, which reduces pressure on local water sources. The absence of chemicals also means that water is cleaner and safer for the surrounding areas too. Cotton is often grown in water-scarce areas using irrigation and it takes around 2,700 litres of water to make a regular cotton t-shirt.
A fair price for product sustainability.
When you buy organic cotton, you are investing in many very beneficial things for the local workers and the environment. From water conservation, cleaner air, better soil and farmer livelihoods are all a tremendous by product. The price for organic cotton is therefore sometimes, but not always, higher. However, with demand on the rise, more choices will become available in the future and its important to understand who you are supporting by buying Organic Cotton.
Making a difference to the world by what you buy.
Caring for the world and the people we share it with is always the best choice. By choosing organic cotton you become a part of this choice. In 2015, 26 million metric tonnes of cotton was produced globally, much of it for the apparel industry. Organic cotton makes up less than 1% of this. By choosing organic over conventional cotton, you have the purchasing power to influence brands, manufacturers and even farmers. At Sleep Earthed, we chose to make all our Bedsheets and Earthing Products from Certified Organic Cotton. We manufacture our products here in the UK in rural Herefordshire and we very much believe in our people and our products.
If you want to know more please get in touch and we would be delighted to hear from you.