And why Eucalyptus lyocell may be the future
The world produces about 25 million tonnes or 110 million bales of cotton, annually. It’s an extremely popular and highly sought after material, but cotton has a dark side. Cotton takes a nasty toll on the environment -- every year, land, air, and waterways are affected and often destroyed.
In addition to being softer, hypoallergenic, zero static, and lower surface friction, S&G’s 100% Eucalyptus lyocell is way more eco-friendly than cotton. Yep, this is one of those rare times when high-quality and environmentally-friendly aren’t at odds.
Here are 6 reasons why cotton is unsustainable (yes, even organic cotton).
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Cotton is thirsty. Every kilogram of cotton fabric production requires 20,000 liters of water. To use a more concrete example, an average cotton bed sheet uses about 4,000 liters of water, while S&G’s sheets use about 150 liters – in freedom units, that’s up to 1,000 gallons saved per sheet set ordered, or an estimated 96% reduction.
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Cotton production is chemically-intensive. Cotton production accounts for 11% of global pesticide use and an estimated 16% of global insecticide use. According to the National Wildlife Federation, “seven of the 15 pesticides commonly used on cotton in the United States are listed as ‘possible,’ ‘likely,’ “probable,’ or ‘known’ human carcinogens by the Environmental Protection Agency.” Because Eucalyptus trees are naturally insect-repellent, lyocell uses no pesticides or insecticides in its raw material production, an estimated infinity-percent reduction (give or take).
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Cotton biodegrades, but more slowly. Once placed in a landfill, Lyocell biodegrades 40% faster than cotton, without leaving a trace. Though instead of throwing away your old sheets, you can donate them via our #Give2Sheets program!
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Cotton is a land hog. Currently, cotton crops use about 2.5% of the world’s arable land (land suitable for growing crops). This roughly corresponds to an area the size of Germany. If not for cotton production, this land could be used for planting food crops for about 24 million people every year. Eucalyptus trees, on the other hand, can be grown on non-arable land that can’t be used for crops. To make our lyocell, wood pulp is sourced from sustainably managed, renewable, biodiverse farms managed in coordination with an NGO called Canopy that helps protect native and indigenous plants, animals, and peoples. (And no trees are harvested from Australia to avoid harming our favorite marsupials.)
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Cotton is an energy hog, too. Globally, cotton production’s energy usage is around 4,500,000 TJ (terajoules). Again, to use a more concrete example, a set of cotton sheets uses approximately 27 KwH of energy, while our Eucalyptus lyocell sheets require about 19kwH -- that’s 30% less energy, which adds up when you remember 25 million metric tons of cotton are harvested globally each year.
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Think Organic Cotton is better? Think again. As recently as 2011, organic cotton accounted for less than 1% of global cotton production, so there’s a pretty good chance all the cotton products you own are conventionally grown. However, even organic cotton isn’t exactly ideal – it requires more water and emits more greenhouse gases to produce the same amount of fiber as conventionally-grown cotton. Additionally, organic pesticides may actually be worse for the environment. (We get it, this stuff is absurdly complicated, so it’s difficult to determine what the right thing to do is).
We’re not picking on cotton – it’s a versatile material with a rich history and innumerable uses. Many of our favorite things are currently made from cotton: T-shirts, towels (well, until S&G releases our own sustainable, absurdly soft lyocell towels in 2020), makeup swabs, and those tiny ear-cleaning things you’re not supposed to put anywhere near your ears. But cotton comes with a significant cost, and it’s important to address that – at the end of the day, sustainable purchasing habits rely on you...calyptus. (Ok that’s a pun too far for even us.)
While the carbon footprint of Eucalyptus lyocell isn’t quite zero, the closed-loop process used in our fabric’s production requires far less water, significantly less energy, and no insecticides or pesticides. Lyocell doesn’t contaminate the ground and air with harmful chemicals, and our trees can grow on non-arable land. We’re obviously super biased, but we think lyocell is a big step in the right direction, and we can’t wait to introduce you to all the things that can be sustainably made from our trees.
In future blog posts, we’ll compare the sustainability of S&G’s eucalyptus lyocell vs microfiber / polyester and vs bamboo viscose.