Sunday Fabrics: Organic Cotton and GOTS 101

At Sunday Bedding, we believe in contributing to textile diversity and shifting away from a reliance on conventional cotton and synthetic fibres. Conventional cotton dominates the textile industry, while also being one of the most chemical, water and energy-intensive materials to grow and process.

While we champion materials like bamboo and linen in our bedding and apparel, cotton remains the most viable fibre for other types of textiles, like towels and terry cloths. Rather than doing away with cotton altogether, we’re minimising our impact by introducing Organic Cotton in our towels and living products.

Below, find out why Organic Cotton is more sustainable and ethical, and how to stay informed when shopping for Organic Cotton using certifications like the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).

We choose to use Organic Cotton in our towels and living products for cotton's unique properties.

For cotton to count as organic, it has to be grown according to organic farming practices. Instead of relying on synthetic pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers, methods like crop rotation, intercropping and natural pest management strategies are used to minimise pollution and improve the quality of the soil. This can cut water pollution by up to 98%.

Healthy soil is much better at capturing and storing water, and at storing carbon too. Conventional cotton is grown on the same plot of land over and over again. Over time, planting the same crop and using synthetic agricultural chemicals creates poor soil conditions that consume staggering volumes of water.

By taking care of soil quality, organic farming has the potential to significantly cut its resource consumption — a Life Cycle Assessment of Organic Cotton points to a 46% reduction in carbon footprint, 91% less groundwater consumption and 62% fall in energy demand.

Avoiding harsh chemicals when processing and treating Organic Cotton also ensures that the final product is less irritating on sensitive skin.

Synthetic chemicals used in conventional cotton production can put local communities and workers at risk — from the agricultural workers who are directly exposed to pesticides, to nearby communities whose food and water supplies are contaminated by runoff.

Organic cotton farming has also been linked to food security and more stable income for farmers, thanks to food crops being required as part of crop rotations, and higher crop yields from healthier soil in the long term.

Opting for Organic Cotton also improves the feel and quality of our products — its longer fibres contribute to the absorbency and fluffiness of Sunday Towels, and its softer texture enhances the Cloud Throw’s fluffy feel.

As demand for the material grows, the industry is susceptible to unverified claims from brands or manufacturers that products are made with organic cotton. While the fibres may indeed have been organically grown, they may not have been processed, dyed or woven in a socially or environmentally responsible manner.

When shopping for fabrics and textiles, look out for Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS, the leading global standard for organic textiles. GOTS assesses the performance of the entire production chain under a broad range of environmental and social areas — including the use of toxic materials in production, the environmental management of production facilities, and working conditions across the supply chain.

Transitioning to organic farming takes time, and the environmental impacts of improved soil conditions don’t happen over the course of a single harvest — which is why environmental data for Organic Cotton only estimates its potential savings in the long term.

For us, choosing sustainable textiles is about paying closer attention to the materials that make up our belongings, and contributing to regenerative processes that have the health and safety of the earth and workers in mind. On our part, this means working with trusted and accredited partners to support the livelihood of organic cotton farmers and textile manufacturers.

All our Organic Cotton products are made of 100% GOTS-certified Organic Cotton in GOTS-certified facilities.