Paris, France Join Cotton Incorporated at Première Vision to see and experience timely topics in cotton, including: RECYCLABILITY
Cotton’s usefulness beyond apparel and home products is demonstrated through the development of UltraTouch™ recycled cotton fiber insulation. This alternative to traditional fiberglass insulation, composed of 80% recycled cotton fiber, is an environmentally safe product that is non-itching and free of carcinogenic warnings, formaldehyde, or chemical irritants.
GOING BEYOND FIBER
During cotton production each year, a tremendous amount of plant material is generated which can be composted and used on farms to return organic nutrients to the soil. Research is being conducted to utilize these gin trash and plant waste materials as bio-based feed stocks for production of composite hard structure materials, wall coverings, and as reinforcing components in construction and building materials, with many products already reaching a commercial stage. Additional research is ongoing to find uses for fiber waste, or lower grade fibers not suitable for textile production, in composites and bio-based plastics, such as cellulose acetate, or in filaments for 3D printing applications.
BIODEGRADABILITY
Studies conducted to examine the biodegradability of cotton indicate that the fiber will break down in a matter of weeks under aerobic conditions, or within a matter of months if simply disposed of in a landfill environment, compared with synthetic fibers which decompose over millennia and bio-accumulate over time. Visit the booth to see a cotton undergarment that was buried in healthy farm soil with excellent microbial growth, nearly fully decomposing this item in a period of 5 weeks, demonstrating cotton’s biodegradability and compostability.
MICROFIBER POLLUTION
Microfiber pollution in water bodies has been established as a significant environmental pollutant and can originate from the manufacture of plastics and synthetic fibers, or at the consumer level through household laundering of clothing. Cotton Incorporated has developed viable solutions to microfiber fleece through the creation of cotton and cotton/wool blend fabrics designed to insulate and provide warmth while offering a more viable, biodegradable option. Any fibers shed from these fabrics easily break down in soil or water within a matter of weeks, helping to solve the microfiber pollution issue, not contribute further to the problem.
Not able to make it to Première Vision this year? Take a look through our sustainability content to discover what’s possible with cotton.
