Organic Cotton vs. Conventional Cotton
Why Use Organic Cotton Sanitary Products
When selecting your box of tampons or sanitary pads either online or in store, the price and the absorbency of the product are the main attributes that we focus on. But how and where – and from what materials – that the sanitary products are made from is important too, especially when it comes to products that you put so close to or inside your body.
If you care about the environment, or are concerned about the products that you use in or on your body then take note: using organic cotton sanitary products not only has a major positive impact on your body but the planet too.
Organic vs. Non-Organic – what are the benefits?
Organic cotton uses 91 percent less water in comparison to conventional cotton (Textiles Exchange, 2017) as this cotton doesn’t contain genetically modified crops which generally require more water due to the synthetic pesticides and fertilisers which are also used. Pesticide free soil is in turn more water efficient.
This organic crop also creates less water pollution by 98 percent (Water Footprint, 2011) as synthetic chemicals and pesticides are not required to grow the cotton.
Organic cotton is not only better for the environment, but it also creates a safer environment for the health of the farmers and cotton pickers as there are no chemicals used in the process. Pesticide Action Network UK reports that smallholder cotton farmers can spend up to 60% of their annual income on pesticides to treat their crop, however thousands of farmers take their own lives each year as a result of debt. Pesticides are also a major killer, nearly 1,000 people die every day from acute pesticide poisoning and many more suffer from chronic ill health such as cancer as a result of the chemicals used in conventional cotton.
London Assembly states that if you were to switch to certified organic disposable menstrual products for just two of your periods per year you could save enough water for 1 person for 900 days. You could also conserve 72% of the energy needed to produce conventional cotton and reduce water use by 91%.
What happens to conventional cotton and organic cotton after use?
Many conventional sanitary products continue to use a blend of plastics in their products such as rayon, polypropylene and polyethylene, the average conventional pad is made of 90% plastic (from the plastic protective layer to the absorbent core) and tampons are 6% plastic (London.gov.co.uk, 2018). London Assembly predict that 4.3 billion menstrual products are used per year in the United Kingdom either going down the toilet and contributing to fatbergs and plastic pollution in our oceans or going into landfills which leave behind microplastics when they have broken down or can be consumed by wildlife. Menstrual products can take up to 500 years to break down in a landfill based on research of plastic bags.
Organic cotton on the other hand can easily biodegrade as it is a completely natural fibre and doesn’t leave behind any micro plastics, however that doesn’t go to say that you should put your used tampons and sanitary pads in your home compost bin or down the toilet, you should still dispose of used sanitary products by popping them in the bin so that they can break down naturally in a landfill system. Some organic sanitary brands have replaced the plastic protective layers with those made from plant-based plastic which can also biodegrade in the right environment.
Why should I buy certified organic cotton products?
At Organ(y)c we not only believe in only using 100% organic cotton inside and outside of our products, but we also ensure that all of our cotton is certified by certification bodies so that you can have peace of mind that we do not mislead you. Our products have been certified by ICEA (Italy) and ECOCERT (France) which are both endorsed by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards).
ICEA (The Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute)
Inspects and certified firms respectful of the environment, workers’ dignity and collective rights. ICEA is one of the most prominent inspection and certification bodies in the field of sustainable development.
ECOCERT is an inspection and certification body established in France in 1991 by agronomists aware of the need to develop environmentally friendly agriculture and of the importance of offering some form of recognition to those committed to this method of product.