They can all be made "greener" but do not start as it. This is completed by replacing the polluting processes, by changing the raw materials used and by reducing the amounts of energy and water used.
Coloured cotton fibres can take advantage of the colour of the natural fibres producing a fibre which need not be bleached or dyed. This means that the vast amounts of water used in dyeing are reduced which in turn can stop the result of pollutants that are unsightly, often toxic and very slow biodegradable. Water is now being kept to a minimum by using new processes which are currently in the testing stage.
Cotton has always been said to be good in the way of it being a natural and popular fibre. Many clothing companies make claims of the greenness of their cotton products. However cotton is not as environmentally sound as it seems:
- It is one of the major users of pesticides on world scale
- It takes up valuable crop space in India and Pakistan causing other crops to be left with little growing room.
- The bleaching and dyeing harm the environment
- Cotton garments also need higher washing and ironing temperatures than synthetics using more of energy that we will eventually run out of
- With many people feeling cotton is a "green" material, the new organic or naturally coloured cottons are scarce and the market will only ever remain small for them.
But cotton has also managed to redeem itself :
- By reusing the product or the fabric - it is a long lasting product and is used as cloths in factories.
- By tightening the use for ECO labels for certain products. This is decided by there energy consumption and the pesticides used during growing.
- The recycling of the fibres into new fabrics or as furniture filling or insulation needs.
