Why Opt for Recycled Cotton
Everyone is guilty of riding the wave of new fashion trends but ever wonder where our clothes go after we throw them away? Most land up in a landfill and pollute the landscape and the environment, along with wasting all the precious resources that went into their production. Processing cotton for a single t-shirt requires approximately 2700l of water, and when we throw away our clothes we aren’t just throwing away that article of clothing but also all the resources that went into it. That is why recycling is very important, it not only extends the life of a product but also solves many issues with our current economy, namely, waste management and resource conservation.
The most important benefit of recycling cotton is the water that will be saved, according to some statistics every tonne of recycled cotton saves 765,000 litres of water. The process of recycling cotton not only saves water but also reduces the CO2 emissions that would be generated if it was left to degrade in some landfill or burned. The process also significantly reduces the amount of chemicals in the textile industry.
Another benefit of recycling cotton is that fossil fuel emissions are significantly reduced. According to some studies, approximately 600g of oil is consumed and 2kg of CO2 is emitted for every single kg of textile produced. By recycling cotton we can save up on all these emissions.
And since an important step of recycling cotton is sorting the materials based on colours and other factors, another polluting process is entirely eliminated from the production process which is dying. Moreover, by supporting the recycling process for cotton by making active consumer decisions, we can drive real change by altering the way big fashion brands and other retailers produce their products. Most importantly by recycling cotton we are laying the foundations for the development of a circular economy. Our current linear system of the economy just gulps down resources to produce products that are eventually discarded. By investing in a strategy for a circular economy we can ensure that every resource that is used in the production process can be reused at the end of a product’s useful life, thereby eliminating the problem of pollution, waste and paucity of resources in one fell swoop.
Invest and support ethical and conscientious production practices without compromising on quality, check out some Pravaah products that have been made with recycled cotton.
According to research, using 1000kg of recycled cotton yarn can save 0.5 hectares of land, C02 emissions are reduced by 6600 kg, and 2783 cubic meters of irrigation water are saved. An obvious benefit of recycling cotton is that pure recycled cotton is biodegradable, which ensures that we do not have to worry about a prolonged effect on the environment, such as with recycled synthetic fibres.
The impact of human activity on our planet is immense, and it is only recently that we as a species have taken a step back to assess the damage we have done. Making the switch to a better option does not only benefit you but also the planet. Consumer demand can shift the market forces in any direction, and it is time to use this immense collective power to drive positive change for our planet.
Source and References:
https://www.verdonce.com/en/recycled-cotton-discover-the-benefits-of-this-amazing-fabric/
https://reloopingfashion.org/4-advantages-of-using-recycled-cotton/
https://totebagfactory.com/blogs/news/organic-cotton-vs-recycled-cotton
https://everydayrecycler.com/recycled-cotton-fabric/
https://lastobject.com/blogs/sustainability-101/cotton-recycling