The cotton plant produces creamy, white flowers and small green seedpods known as cotton bolls. Fibers growing from the outer skin of the seeds become tightly packed within the boll, which bursts open at maturity to reveal soft masses of the white to yellowish white fibers. It is harvested when the bolls open and the seeds are separated from the fibers by a mechanical process called ginning. Ginned cotton is shipped in bales to a textile mill for yarn manufacturing and eventually woven into fabric.

The fibers are formed into fabrics for a variety of apparel, home furnishings and industrial uses.

Non-woven cotton, made by fusing or bonding the fibers is useful for making disposable products including towels, polishing cloths, tea bags, tablecloths, bandages and disposable uniforms and sheets for hospitals and other medical uses.

Requires a lot of insecticides and pesticides to grow. Organic cotton does not use pesticides.

Cotton’s commercial production methods are environmentally unsustainable.

Recyclable - made into yarn or new garments.

Water intensive process.

Cotton depletes soil of nutrients.

Destroys habitats for cotton farming.

Durable and comfortable to wear because it absorbs and releases moisture quickly. Easy to dye, washable and has a high heat tolerance, making it easy to iron.

Various finishing processes can make cotton resistant to stains, water and mildew.