Prior to machine harvesting, human workers are generally required for defoliation, which is the process of removing the leaves from cotton plants. Next, a single machine harvests the amount of cotton that 50 people could pick, and this same machine removes large contaminants from the cotton fibers and forms it into bales.
High-efficiency automated cotton gins can process up to 60 raw cotton bales weighing pounds each in the space of an hour. These gins remove the seeds from cotton bolls, and they also remove any dirt or trash from the cotton. Once cotton has been cleaned to the extent that it consists of pure cotton fibers without any seeds or trash, it is transferred to a textile production facility. At this facility, the raw cotton is carded, which is the process of forming cotton fibers into long strands.
Next, these strands are spun to create yarn. At this stage, the basic material used in cotton fabrics is complete. This cotton yarn may then be subjected to a variety of chemical treatments, and it may be dyed.
Next, it is woven into a particular type of textile material such as a bedsheet, T-shirt, or pair of blue jeans. In sheer numbers, cotton is the most widely used textile fiber in the world, and manufacturers can spin this fabric into a myriad of different types of products. For instance, most T-shirts contain at least some amount of cotton, and true blue jeans are percent cotton.
This fabric is used to make bathrobes, bathmats, and towels, and it is also used to make bedsheets, blankets, and duvets. Manufacturers may even use cotton to make curtains, wall-hangings, and other types of home decorations. Since cotton is highly breathable and absorbent, it is commonly used to make warm-weather clothing. Its softness makes it a good option for formal and business wear, and its notable draping abilities make it an ideal fabric for dresses.
Manufacturers use cotton to make medical supplies, and this fabric is also used to make industrial thread and tarps. In summation, cotton can be used to make practically any type of textile for consumer or industrial use. India and China are frequently tied as the largest cotton producers in the world. According to Statista , India overtook its East Asian competitor between and by producing 6,, metric tons of cotton.
For comparison, China produced 5,, metric tons of cotton fiber during this same period. At 4,, metric tons, the USA is the next-largest producer of cotton. However, these prices are subject to constant change. Cotton costs significantly more once a producer has formed it into yarn, and its price increases again once this fiber is made into a final product. Comparatively speaking, cotton is one of the least expensive textile fibers in the world, which has contributed to its popularity.
However, the cheapest cotton is cotton that has not been produced sustainably, and better forms of cotton cost much more. For instance, forms of extra-long-staple cotton are significantly more expensive than traditional short-staple cotton.
Examples of extra-long-staple cotton include Egyptian cotton and Pima cotton. These types of cotton cost more for manufacturers to produce, and they also cost more at the consumer level.
There are four distinct species of cotton that are used to make cotton fabric. In addition, there are several sub-varieties of cotton fabric that are made from these plant species:. This type of cotton is the most widely-produced form of this textile crop. Over the years, traders have exported this type of cotton to practically every location throughout the world, and it grows well in practically any climate. Gossypium hirsutum is a short-staple SS cotton fiber, which means that it is not as high-quality as other forms of this textile fiber.
Gossypium barbadense is an extra-long-staple ELS cotton variety, which means that it consists of longer cotton fibers that produce softer and more luxurious textiles. This ELS cotton variation is native to South America, and it has been exported to a variety of locations throughout the world. For instance, Pima cotton is a form of Gossypium barbadense, and producers cultivate this type of cotton in China, India, and other foreign nations.
While most types of cotton grow on small bushes, Gossypium arboretum grows on larger bushes that could almost be considered to be trees. This type of cotton accounts for less than 2 percent of global production. Also known as Levant cotton, this type of fiber is native to Africa and Arabia, and it contributes less than 2 percent to global cotton cultivation. Short-staple SS cotton is any type of cotton that consists of fibers that are up to 1.
Long-staple LS cotton is any type of cotton that consists of fibers that are between 1. This type of cotton is somewhat more luxurious than SS cotton.
Extra-long staple ELS cotton is any type of cotton that consists of fibers that are longer than 1. ELS cotton is the most luxurious and soft type of cotton in existence. Giza 45 cotton, for instance, is over 45 millimeters 1.
Pima cotton is a type of ELS cotton that was created through a partnership between the U. It is considered to be one of the most durable forms of cotton. Cotton production is inherently non-impactful on the environment. However, the practices that manufacturers use to make cotton may be harmful to the environment. Cotton cultivation requires a huge amount of water, and producing this textile may also involve land repurposing.
As a result, cotton cultivation frequently depletes the soil in the areas where it is grown. Most cotton producers worldwide resort to agrochemicals, such as pesticides and fertilizers, to grow their crops. These harmful chemicals run off into the surrounding water, poison the soil, and end up being present in potentially dangerous concentrations in end products.
In the vast majority of instances, cotton cultivation is an exploitative practice in which international corporations take advantage of poor, uneducated people in third-world countries to produce these fibers. This practice is harmful to communities, and it supports a cycle of poverty that results in reduced life expectancy and multiple succeeding generations of servitude.
To find out more about this, including how to manage cookies on your computer, please see our Privacy and Cookies Policy. By closing this message, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with this Policy unless you have disabled them. Clothes today are made from a wide range of different materials. Traditional materials such as cotton, linen and leather are still sourced from plants and animals. But most clothes are more likely to be made of materials and chemicals derived from fossil fuel-based crude oil.
The source of synthetic fibres and fabrics is the fossil fuel crude oil. One of the oldest used fibres and the most important non-food crop in the world is cotton. Cotton production is particularly important for farmers in lower-income countries, where approximately million people are involved in its cultivation and processing 4. These materials begin as cellulose extracted from a natural resource such as bamboo or trees that is then crushed, pulped and transformed into fibres using a similar process to the one for making polyester.
The most common cellulosic fabric is viscose, prized for its silk-like qualities rayon, the first type of viscose fabric invented, was created to mimic silk. About 2bn kilograms of raw wool per year are produced from a global herd of around 1. This roughly equates to one wool sweater per person per year for everyone on the planet 6.
These figures include wool textiles used for items other than garments — such as furniture or carpets. An ancient, highly prized fabric, silk is derived from the thread produced by the silkworm species Bombyx Mori. About , MT of silk are produced each year about 0. This is one of the oldest forms of material used by humans as clothing and it remains an important fabric particularly for footwear and accessories.
Around 3. Bast fibres like flax for linen , hemp and nettle are a traditional source that has been used by humans for thousands of years, although they presently make up only a small proportion of total fabric use. These fibres are found in the inner bark layer phloem , of the plant that sit between the woody core xylem , and the outer-most layer epidermis.
The long phloem cells must be separated from the xylem and epidermis before being further treated to make them ready to weave or knit into fabrics 11 , either as a pure fibre or in a mix with other fibres such as cotton.
Most bast fibres are used for other products such as paper, ropes and carpets. This is a broad category of fibres and materials that are diverse but make up only a tiny fraction of the entire amount of fabrics used. Many of these are experimental in nature — for example, they may be made from materials originally derived from mushrooms 12 , pineapple 13 or milk.
The Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres compares the environmental impact of the most commonly used fibres in the garment industry. Silk is a luxury commodity, produced mostly in a few countries but predominantly in China.
Sustainable wool sources are organically produced or abide by strict animal welfare criteria Common Objective is a global sourcing and information network that enables you to succeed in sustainable fashion business. Subscribe to our newsletter and receive a free report as a welcome gift.
0コメント