Why wear organic cotton?

When we were choosing a supplier for our Macho Fins Signature T Shirts, there was no question in our minds that they had to be 100% organic cotton, and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified as such.  We wanted to keep our Ts in line with our general philosphy both as a business and on a personal level (we also eat 100% organic at home).  But what does organic cotton actually entail?  Why is it important?  And why is it better?

Organic cotton is all about growing cotton without the use of pesticides, fertilizers and other toxic chemicals - all harmful to the natural environment where the cotton is grown.  Organic cotton production leaves the soil, air and water free of contaminates - in fact it uses 88% less water and 62% less enegry than standard cotton production.  If a brand is GOTS certified, like our T Shirt supplier, it guarantees the cotton used is minimum 70% organic cotton (although our supplier actually uses 100%), and that organic practices are followed and maintained.

Further to that, GOTS certification requires not only organic growing practices, but garment production must also meet strict environmental and toxilogical criteria too, in aspects such as the dyes used.

And the other thing?  This comes from personal experience - organic cotton is super soft, great quality and long lasting.  You'll find our Ts are a pleasure to wear, soft on the skin and easy to wash.  We can't tell you how many times we've washed ours, but it's a lot, and they're still good as new - no bobbling, no fading, no stretching out of shape.  That's organic cotton quality for you!

Sources:
Statistics: http://aboutorganiccotton.org/
GOTS: https://www.global-standard.org/

Photo Credit: Alex Scheele