Cotton is an increasingly scarce resource, and its production is extremely costly for the environment. A growing proportion of consumers are aware of this and are looking for alternatives when purchasing new garments. Product scarcity and corporate reputation strategies are motivating fashion companies to gradually integrate more sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled cotton, or wood-based fibers such as lyocell.
The direct and indirect impacts to be taken into account when comparing textile materials are related to the amount of land needed to grow the plant, the agrochemicals used in its production, the energy used in its transportation, the use of dyes and other chemicals, and water consumption. For example, approximately 2,900 liters of water are required to manufacture a cotton T-shirt weighing 250 grams.
Organic cotton garments are more beneficial to the environment as it reduces the contamination of soil and water with toxic substances that end up in the sea. Both the cultivation and production of organic cotton garments consume less than 50% less water than conventional cotton garments.
Sourcing Organic Cotton
Most organic cotton is grown on small farms, which tend to use rainwater and not so many irrigation systems. Also, because pesticides and fertilizers are not used, not as much water is needed. Organic cotton does not imply that the crop is transgenic, which generally requires more water; in turn, by working on pesticide-free soil, the process saves water. In fact, 95% of the water used to grow organic cotton is organic water, which is rainwater or water stored in the soil itself.
There are several consulting firms and non-profit organizations such as Textile Exchange that help companies in the industrial sector to incorporate more sustainable materials into their production systems, and others such as Better Cotton and Global Organic Textile Standard, dedicated to promoting the implementation of organic cotton and supporting farmers.
Jack & Jones to Quadruple its Organic Cotton
The Danish menswear brand Jack & Jones has announced that it plans to quadruple the organic cotton that it sources directly from farms. In the case of its brand “Bestseller”, direct-to-farm cotton accounts for more than 25% of the total amount of cotton sourced by the brand next year. In doing so, the brand is on track to meet parent company Bestseller's Fashion FWD goal of sourcing 30% organic or in-conversion cotton by 2025.
Signaling a huge commitment, this signals a move in a positive direction for the brand. One of its main environmental impacts lies in the materials it uses, so moving from conventional cotton to 'direct to farm' has a substantial impact
Last year, Jack & Jones recorded 1500 metric tons of cotton lint from various direct-to-farm cotton programs for different styles of NOOS. The brand estimates that the total figure will increase to over 6600 MT of lint by 2023. This equates to 18.5 million cotton T-shirts, according to Jack & Jones' NOOS Supply Chain Director, Gregory Simsick.
Jack & Jone’s made the decision to increase its sourcing of organic cotton, after it dropped from 21% of its cotton in 2021, to just 11% last year. The brand also plans to work with organizations such as Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) and Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA), as well as its suppliers, to substantially increase sourcing of 'direct-to-farm' organic cotton to more than 6,600 metric tonnes in 2023, in addition to sourcing Better Cotton Initiative cotton.
However, it doesn’t stop at cotton. As polyester is one of its most-used materials, the brand has plans to move away from virgin polyester, and instead invest in pre and post-consumer recycled fibers like REPREVE®.