Which is Greener: Wool or Cotton?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 02.20.08
Photo credits: Old Shoe Woman (left) and Iceman75 (right)
When it comes to garments and fabric, which is greener: wool or cotton? Slate's Green Lantern tackles the question, doing some analysis and ultimately coming up with...well, it depends.
It's an apples to oranges comparison, notes the Lantern -- one comes from sheep, the other grows in the ground -- and, on top of that, there are a lot of environmental impacts to consider with both. Wool is a renewable resource, but sheep belch 20 to 30 liters of climate-changing methane per day; cotton's organic variety is grown without petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides, but, grown conventionally, the plant is a toxic mess. Hmm.
Okay, the wool first. In New Zealand, home to 45 million sheep (to under 5 million people), more than half of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions come from their livestock; the methane that the sheep so conspicuously add to the atmosphere has a global warming potential of 21, compared to (a much smaller) 1 for carbon dioxide.
Water, the world's most precious resource, plays a big role, too, from raising the sheep to cleaning the fiber; it takes approximately 500,000 liters of water to manufacture a metric ton of wool, though cotton requires 2,500 liters of water for just one t-shirt, and that's just for its growth.
And when it comes to fertilizers, the beat goes on with cotton. "In Australia, where nitrous oxide emissions have increased 130 percent since 1990 due to fertilizer usage, it's estimated that a third of the nitrogen applied to cultivated fields is lost before serving any purpose. The furrows of cotton fields are particularly egregious emitters; in 2006, researchers from the Queensland University of Technology found that each acre of furrowed land accounted for 13.8 ounces of released nitrous oxide."
Ultimately, the Lantern sides with cotton, but it wasn't an easy choice. We could probably argue semantics all day long -- carbon footprint vs. organic agriculture vs. lifetime energy and cleaning use -- but it underscores the decisions required to make such a decision. Which is more important: keeping pesticides out of the ground or greenhouse gases out of the air? Paying for organic or exposing workers to pounds of fertilizer? The choice is yours. ::Slate
I'd like to see a comparison of wool to other technical fabrics. Wool wicks moisture, cools, insulates, and acts as a waterproof shell and is a favorite of old-school cyclists.
The clear winner is organic cotton. But, as noted before me, wool is usually put to different, more specific uses than organic cotton. And - is organic wool the same in terms of ecological/greenhouse gas footprint as conventional wool? Which one was he using?
If the only drawback for the wool is the greenhouse gas effect, they have been researching adding garlic to the diets of cows in India to decrease the methane production. It has an anti-bacterial effect in the bowels to kill the bacteria procuding the methane. If it works for cows it should work for the sheep. That would make wool the winner.
"The clear winner is organic cotton."
Really? Cotton depletes the soil of nutrients rather quickly, so farmers have to clear more land to plant more cotton, leaving depleted soils in their wake.
I think the only clear winner is worldwide human nudity or possibly animal pelts!
The clear winner is that there are already plenty of clothes in the world. If everybody weren't trying to impress with fancy duds all the time we would all be better off. So much waste, it makes me all melacholy.
The clear winner is second-hand clothing!
Modern wools are a better choice to wear in a variety of climates. As stated above, wool is a technical fiber. It can be worn without washing or with a minimal amount of washing. It also helps to mitigate different temperatures without having to use layers (ie. more clothing) or fuel for heating and cooling. I could use a third of the wool shirts as opposed to the cotton shirts I would use.
Neither! Hemp is the winner. ;)
Buying second hand is good of course, but in terms of new,raw materials, what about hemp? I mean, aside from the hippie connotations, the stuff is magnificently utilitarian... Where does it compare to organic cotton and wool? I think most hemp is grown without chemical fertilizers for the most part. I suppose the biggest drawback for now is the carbon produced from shipping the stuff since its OK to import from abroad but its illegal to farm it here in the Homeland.
I think the comparison is too short ... it needs to continue with a general life-cycle assessment or at least a length of life assessment. On this point, I think that wool would be the winner, but would like to see the actual figures.
With wool, once the sheep can no longer produce quality fleece, the sheep can then be eaten. You can have sheep ON you and IN you. It`s a two for one!
Ok, after reading all of the above, this is what I'm going with:
When putting on clothes the process is:
1. Look for something you've already got.
2. Wear organic cotton or hemp if you have it.
3. If you're doing something where technical fabrics will help, throw on your organic wool accessories.
If you're buying something new:
1. Make sure you can't recycle some of your old stuff first.
2. Make a serous effort to get organic.
3. For every new thing you buy, try to donate one or more old ones to a thrift shop.
I live where it's hot most of the year and I used to be miserable about it. I recently found that very thin cotton can be great here. Takes the edge off the heat. When it gets cold, I throw on a thin merino wool sweater and that's about it. I wish I'd figured out this wardrobe simplicity 20 years ago.
Regardless, I still wouldn't support wool unless it was local and I could assure myself of how the animals were treated, because animal cruelty does not jive with TreeHugger ethics in my opinion. I'm trying to support organic cotton as much as I can, if for no other reason than to help make it more readily available than conventional cotton someday [oh, to dream], and the same with hemp. I could not honestly say from a technical perspective which is greener, however, of the two.
Hemp.
But otherwise, what about the life of a garment? (as Thad points out) Wool lasts much, much longer than cotton. I have vintage wool Pendletons that are over 50 years old, and counting.
Besides, the fabrics are for different climates and applications. Wool diapers? I don't think so. Cotton sweater? What for?
I would like to hear the debate include bamboo which is emerging as a very popular choice of fabric. I have heard that although it is a quick growing grass and needs few fertilizer's, that the process to turn it into a usable fibre for clothing is a VERY water intensive process (and perhaps chemicals to soften it as well). Does anyone know more about this?
Bamboo is not eco friendly. Let me repeat because people keep hearing otherwise from people who sell bamboo. Bamboo is NOT eco-friendly.
It is a chemical fiber. It takes years to grown the bamboo that is melted down. It wears out very quickly because it is very weak when wet. IT is NOT antibacterial. After many domestic lab tests this has never been duplicated. Any questions?
Buy Hemp and Organic Wool if you need something new and visit your goodwill or even the back of your closet.
It is not a case of organic rather a case of sustainability. I work in the textile industry and although these are all great options they all have downsides.
Organic cotton is fine however it takes 3years for a farmer to switch his field over to being an organic field which cost a lot of time and money which is why these clothes are more expensive. As stated above you have to clear more land for the cotton fields which then creates other problems when you consider run of and soil erosion. Plus our evil friends Wal-Mart has bought an outrageous amount of fields to sustain organic cotton, so much that other manufactures have a hard time getting a field to even use. Also, when you read Organic on a Walmart product its not 100% Organic FYI.
When it comes to wool if we move toward keeping our animals healthier and working with garlic (as also stated above) this could be an option however wool isn't really practical for all the clothes you want to wear. You may think well it absorbs wetness, is good for the hot or the cold but in actuality the ways to treat it in order to make it comfortable enough to wear in all these conditions and not be itchy means pollution and garment/fabric washes etc that aren't necessarily the best option either and no option is going to be as comfy as your cotton and without chemically altering it there will always be shrinkage which means you're going to be buying more of it.
As for hemp... the thought is nice but you're going to pay an arm and a leg, because you're paying for shipping since it is illegal to grow here... on the positive side it grows like a weed (no pun intended) it is a strong fiber stronger than cotton but its sustainable its not organic.
Bamboo, as stated above bamboo is not the best option its break down process in order to make it a fiber takes a lot of manufacturing and causes a lot of pollution. On the positive side it can be as soft as cashmere it has antibacterial properties and its breathable like wool.
Linen is another option but its very expensive. Otherwise its all pluses there!
More options to consider:
Soy/Silk/Eucalyptus and Eco Fleece
The way to go... everything that you donate to your favorite used clothing store ie: Goodwill/Salvation Army etc will either be put on the shelf or if its too worn will be shipped out to be broken down back into fibers and reused. This is cost effective for our economy, it doesn't use anything that is going to dramatically pollute the environment and it practical. So its not an issue of buying someone else's old t-shirt cause come on now eco/hippie/granola whatever we are we all know we like new clothes from time to time and an old hand me down isn't going to do it sometimes. So the real thing to do is keep donating to these places and look for recycled fibers when you're out shopping or online. Then you're getting new fashionable clothes from your old rags. Also anything made locally is best try and avoid things made overseas since they are shipped and packed in formaldehyde's to keep bugs out as it travels (very few things are shipped by air mail FYI) which takes a lot of washes to get out and is easily absorbed into your air and skin (ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A BABY PLEASE BUY ORGANIC)!
So again... its not necessarily all organic... but sustainability.
It is not a case of organic rather a case of sustainability. I work in the textile industry and although these are all great options they all have downsides.
Organic cotton is fine however it takes 3years for a farmer to switch his field over to being an organic field which cost a lot of time and money which is why these clothes are more expensive. As stated above you have to clear more land for the cotton fields which then creates other problems when you consider run of and soil erosion. Plus our evil friends Wal-Mart has bought an outrageous amount of fields to sustain organic cotton, so much that other manufactures have a hard time getting a field to even use. Also, when you read Organic on a Walmart product its not 100% Organic FYI.
When it comes to wool if we move toward keeping our animals healthier and working with garlic (as also stated above) this could be an option however wool isn't really practical for all the clothes you want to wear. You may think well it absorbs wetness, is good for the hot or the cold but in actuality the ways to treat it in order to make it comfortable enough to wear in all these conditions and not be itchy means pollution and garment/fabric washes etc that aren't necessarily the best option either and no option is going to be as comfy as your cotton and without chemically altering it there will always be shrinkage which means you're going to be buying more of it.
As for hemp... the thought is nice but you're going to pay an arm and a leg, because you're paying for shipping since it is illegal to grow here... on the positive side it grows like a weed (no pun intended) it is a strong fiber stronger than cotton but its sustainable its not organic.
Bamboo, as stated above bamboo is not the best option its break down process in order to make it a fiber takes a lot of manufacturing and causes a lot of pollution. On the positive side it can be as soft as cashmere it has antibacterial properties and its breathable like wool.
Linen is another option but its very expensive. Otherwise its all pluses there!
More options to consider:
Soy/Silk/Eucalyptus and Eco Fleece
The way to go... everything that you donate to your favorite used clothing store ie: Goodwill/Salvation Army etc will either be put on the shelf or if its too worn will be shipped out to be broken down back into fibers and reused. This is cost effective for our economy, it doesn't use anything that is going to dramatically pollute the environment and it practical. So its not an issue of buying someone else's old t-shirt cause come on now eco/hippie/granola whatever we are we all know we like new clothes from time to time and an old hand me down isn't going to do it sometimes. So the real thing to do is keep donating to these places and look for recycled fibers when you're out shopping or online. Then you're getting new fashionable clothes from your old rags. Also anything made locally is best try and avoid things made overseas since they are shipped and packed in formaldehyde's to keep bugs out as it travels (very few things are shipped by air mail FYI) which takes a lot of washes to get out and is easily absorbed into your air and skin (ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A BABY PLEASE BUY ORGANIC)!
So again... its not necessarily all organic... but sustainability.
It is not a case of organic rather a case of sustainability. I work in the textile industry and although these are all great options they all have downsides.
Organic cotton is fine however it takes 3years for a farmer to switch his field over to being an organic field which cost a lot of time and money which is why these clothes are more expensive. As stated above you have to clear more land for the cotton fields which then creates other problems when you consider run of and soil erosion. Plus our evil friends Wal-Mart has bought an outrageous amount of fields to sustain organic cotton, so much that other manufactures have a hard time getting a field to even use. Also, when you read Organic on a Walmart product its not 100% Organic FYI.
When it comes to wool if we move toward keeping our animals healthier and working with garlic (as also stated above) this could be an option however wool isn't really practical for all the clothes you want to wear. You may think well it absorbs wetness, is good for the hot or the cold but in actuality the ways to treat it in order to make it comfortable enough to wear in all these conditions and not be itchy means pollution and garment/fabric washes etc that aren't necessarily the best option either and no option is going to be as comfy as your cotton and without chemically altering it there will always be shrinkage which means you're going to be buying more of it.
As for hemp... the thought is nice but you're going to pay an arm and a leg, because you're paying for shipping since it is illegal to grow here... on the positive side it grows like a weed (no pun intended) it is a strong fiber stronger than cotton but its sustainable its not organic.
Bamboo, as stated above bamboo is not the best option its break down process in order to make it a fiber takes a lot of manufacturing and causes a lot of pollution. On the positive side it can be as soft as cashmere it has antibacterial properties and its breathable like wool.
Linen is another option but its very expensive. Otherwise its all pluses there!
More options to consider:
Soy/Silk/Eucalyptus and Eco Fleece
The way to go... everything that you donate to your favorite used clothing store ie: Goodwill/Salvation Army etc will either be put on the shelf or if its too worn will be shipped out to be broken down back into fibers and reused. This is cost effective for our economy, it doesn't use anything that is going to dramatically pollute the environment and it practical. So its not an issue of buying someone else's old t-shirt cause come on now eco/hippie/granola whatever we are we all know we like new clothes from time to time and an old hand me down isn't going to do it sometimes. So the real thing to do is keep donating to these places and look for recycled fibers when you're out shopping or online. Then you're getting new fashionable clothes from your old rags. Also anything made locally is best try and avoid things made overseas since they are shipped and packed in formaldehyde's to keep bugs out as it travels (very few things are shipped by air mail FYI) which takes a lot of washes to get out and is easily absorbed into your air and skin (ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A BABY PLEASE BUY ORGANIC)!
So again... its not necessarily all organic... but sustainability.
Wool is the clear winner, remember sheep do not only produce wool but food as well. Whether you like it or not, there is very little of a sheep that goes to waste.So divide your downside figures by the total of their productivity.
With regard to wool garments, they were being re cylced back to fibrous state for re processing almost before the word recylcle became fashionable.
The report would have been more clear had the figures compared like for like eg water consumption.
On my calculation of 8 cotton T shirts to 1 kg cotton, 1 metric tonne would use 20 million litres of water compared to wools 500,000 !
Now ask where did the Aral Sea go to ?
Wool is made up of 50% carbon Hydrogen 7%
nitrogen 17% oxygen 20% Sulphur 6%
THIS IS TAKING CARBON OUT OF THE CYCLE.
by locking carbon up and putting it into a usefull
product which will keep you warm If a company
turns downs it's air conditioning down by 2 degrees how much power would we save Put on a jumper and stay warm