I guess most people assume that 100% cotton equals a good product, maybe even a sustainable one. It is true in the sense that 100% of anything is easier to break down and thus recycle. However, what we might not be realizing is what impact cotton farming actually have on our environment. For example, It can take more than 20,000 liters of water to produce only 1kg of cotton. Furthermore can the chemicals and pesticides used in farming completely wipe out the existing eco-s stem and have severe health impacts on workers living on or close to the planting ground.

So what’s the alternative? What should we look for? For example there is an initiative called “Better Cotton”. Better Cotton is a not-for-profit organization stewarding the global standards and bringing together cotton’s complex supply chain, from the farmers to the retailers.

You can find Better Cotton in products from, amongst others, Levis, Marimekko and Tommy Hilfiger. On the Swedish market you can find Better Cotton at Stadium, Gina Tricot and Baby Björn to name a few.

Cotton is one of the world’s most important natural fibres. It’s used by nearly everyone on Earth every day, and supports 250 million people’s livelihoods. It’s a renewable natural resource, but only if we manage it responsibly. In 2005, a group of visionary organisations came together to figure out what could be done to safeguard the future of cotton. “There has to be a better way”, they said. It turns out there is. It’s called Better Cotton.