The skyrocketing amount of plastic trash is unquestionably a scary situation, and the calls to ban plastics straws and “cotton buds” are worth considering. However, note that in this context, "cotton bud" refers to the plastic stem, NOT the cotton swabs themselves. Also, many manufacturers have replaced the plastic stems with paper ones to minimise their environmental impact.
When water molecules penetrate a fibre, they often act like a lubricant, which weakens the material. But water only makes cotton stronger, unlike viscose rayon (which loses strength) and synthetics (which are unaffected). Cotton is 99% cellulose, and hydrogen atoms in the water bond with those in the cellulose. That increases cotton's strength by about 20% -- and, since cotton can absorb more than 25X its weight in water, it's the ideal material for 'wet work'.
There is a new plastic pollution threat, and this one isn't in the water: It's in the air. In the Pyrénées mountains in France, researchers found nearly 4,000 plastic particles per square foot of land. They suspect the microfibres were deposited there by wind currents, carrying them to this supposedly untouched region more than 60 miles away. It should be noted that to prevent the researchers' clothes from contaminating the samples, 'collectors were expected to wear cotton'. Natural fibres > synthetic fibres
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources found that 98 percent of the microplastics are generated from land-based activities, the largest being the laundering of synthetic textiles.
Meanwhile, a rigorous study conducted by Cotton Incorporated, Australia's Cotton Research and Development Corporation and North Carolina State University showed that cotton degrades 95% more than polyester in wastewater.
The skyrocketing amount of plastic trash is unquestionably a scary situation, and the calls to ban plastics straws and “cotton buds” are worth considering. However, note that in this context, "cotton bud" refers to the plastic stem, NOT the cotton swabs themselves. Also, many manufacturers have replaced the plastic stems with paper ones to minimise their environmental impact.
Talk about efficiency! Cotton occupies a mere 3% of the world's agricultural area -- yet it meets 27% of the world's textile needs. That's getting your fibre's worth! Globally, cotton's land use has remained relatively constant over the past 50 years, but the volume of fibre produced has increased. In other words, cotton growers are producing more cotton without planting on more land.
Additive manufacturing has evolved from a pipe dream to a hotbed of innovation. Cotton-based filaments are appealing to 3D printers because they:
The people have spoken: Whether working or resting, cotton is #1! The majority of consumers say cotton is the best fabric for activewear, and more than 2 out of 3 say that 100% cotton sheets offer the best night’s sleep.
Although about 80 percent of the world’s production comes from Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, the United States and Uzbekistan, cotton is grown in more than 100 countries – and it provides an income to hundreds of millions of people around the world every year.