Difference Between Organic Cotton and Non-Organic Cotton

Difference Between Organic Cotton and Non-Organic Cotton

The choice between organic cotton and non-organic cotton is actually quite simple. Anything natural over anything that is treated is always better. But what we need to know and understand is what makes organic cotton natural and why is it the preferred fabric over non-organic cotton.

Growing Organic Cotton

The difference in the two starts right from the process involved in growing the cotton crops. The organic cotton seeds are left untreated and unmodified without the use of any chemicals. Even the weeds that grow in organic cotton farming, are removed by hand. The purity of the cotton is retained as they are handpicked without the use of any machine. This helps in preserving the purity of the fiber as they are not damaged or broken while being picked up by the machine. This is the reason behind the durability of organic cotton products.

If you are thinking about the bugs that infest the organic cotton crops, there is an insecticide free solution there too. The organic cotton farming use insects that keep the pests away.

The soil in case of organic cotton is much healthier as the crops are rotated from one soil to another. This makes the soil richer with nutrients. The soil is able to retain water for a longer period of time giving rise to healthier organic cotton crops. As a result, there is reduction in water usage and soil pollution. Organic cotton farming provides a safer working environment to the farmers.

Growing Non-organic Cotton

If you look at non-organic cotton, right from the inception the seeds are genetically modified so that it yields more cotton. The demand for cotton is huge and in order to meet this, the regular cotton or the non-organic cotton are treated with several chemicals to fight the bugs. They are machine picked to fasten the process which results in the cotton fiber getting damaged.

The quality of the soil where non-organic cotton is grown is highly compromised as the crops are grown on the same soil over an over again. This leaves the soil unhealthy devoid of nutrients and eventually giving cotton that are not as strong and durable as organic cotton. The process of growing non-organic cotton crops therefore requires intensive irrigation as there is hardly any water retained in the soil. Huge amounts of insecticides are used to preserve the cotton crops which diminishes the quality of the soil.

There is a lot less emission of carbon dioxide in growing organic cotton in comparison to non-organic cotton. The toxic insecticides used in the cultivation of non-organic cotton crops lead to a very unhealthy and unsafe working condition for farmers, the neighborhood, and the environment. Several people suffer from allergies and skin problems due to the process of farming non-organic cotton.

Though with the changing times, there is a lot of awareness about organic cotton products, the need for more information as to why organic cotton is better than regular cotton needs to spread at a rapid rate. You might spend more buying organic cotton products, but in the long run they are actually cheaper owing to their durability. In addition, considering the health and environmental benefits that come along by using organic cotton products is worth considering and adapting.

Organic cotton products like bedding sheet, pillowcases, baby crib sheets, grocery shopping bags and mesh and muslin bags become more important as they are used in direct skin contact and consumption. So next time you are considering the options, keep these vital differences in mind before making the purchase.

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