A challenger arrives.

A challenger arrives.

By Índio AB

When it comes to underwear, cotton rules with an iron fist.

But popularity always comes with a catch. To keep up with the widespread demand, the cotton industry relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizer, creating a low-quality end product that’s bad for you and the environment.

Non-organic cotton, your time is up. Here comes bamboo.

Recently, bamboo has proven to be a robust choice opposed to cotton. Bamboo fabric is just as soft, but with far less of a health impact. And this is why:

Bamboo, like cotton, grows best under warm conditions.

And boy, does it grow well. The fastest growing plant in the world, in fact, at a rate of one inch every 40 minutes!

Bamboo can grow effectively without the need for pesticides, fertilizer, or subsequent harvests due to its hardy root system and leaves, which enrich the soil.

And if that’s not cool enough, bamboo releases 30% more oxygen than other trees, solidifying it’s well-earned position as one of the most sustainable plants out there.

Cotton, however, is kind of fussy, and commonly sees the use of pesticides and fertilizer to get a larger harvest. It requires three times more water than bamboo, and accounts for 7% of global pesticide use.

Putting aside the obvious environmental issue at play here, we must also note that these pesticides used on cotton are making their way to the fabric in the underwear that you use. Just keep that in mind.

The reign of cotton is drawing to a close. Bamboo has proven itself as the better option in all fields. Comfy for you, and comfy for the planet. It’s up to us to make the switch.

SOURCES:

“Bamboo VS. Cotton: An Environmental Comparison.” Keeping Our Planet Alive, 2019, keepingourplanetalive.ca/blogs/blog/bamboo-vs-cotton-an-environmental-comparison.

“Organic Cotton vs Non Organic Cotton.” The House of Pillows, 2019, www.thehouseofpillows.eu/organic-cotton-vs-non-organic-cotton-blog/.

“Interesting Bamboo Facts.” Bamboo Botanicals - Interesting Bamboo Facts, www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/about-bamboo/bamboo-facts.html.

Brady, Scott. “7 Reasons Bamboo Is a Better Option than Cotton - Blog, News, and Updates.” Cariloha, 2014, blog.cariloha.com/7-reasons-bamboo-better-option-cotton/.