Environmental Impact

Cotton

Cotton accounts for 18 percent of all pesticides used worldwide. Of the top 15 pesticides used on cotton crops, seven are considered "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The pesticides and fertilizers applied to cotton fields inevitably run off in groundwater, which supplies about 50 percent of drinking water in the U.S. Cotton's chemical habit can have devastating consequences for wildlife, as well. At least 13 pesticides documented as causing die-offs in birds are currently registered for use on cotton.

Cotton, even organic cotton, consumes enormous amounts of water, and diverting it from waterways for irrigation has caused near-drought conditions in some areas of the world.

Finishing Chemicals

Another natural, time-tested, breathable fiber is wool. One benefit to wool is that it's naturally fireproof, alleviating the need for treatment with chemical fire-retardants. It's not moth-resistant, however, and is usually treated with mothproofing insecticides as a result. Wool may also contain other insecticide residues from dipping sheep in chemical baths to rid them of parasites such as lice, ticks and mites.

Cotton and polyester textiles are also typically "finished" with chemicals that minimize wrinkling. Such permanent press finishes typically contain formaldehyde, a probable carcinogen that can be released into the air, causing flu-like symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, throat irritation, headache, fatigue, and respiratory problems.

Chemically Produced Bamboo

Bamboo is a relatively eco-friendly crop--pest-resistant, wild-growing and rapidly renewable. But to keep up with increasing demand for bamboo products, farmers have started raising it on plantations as a monocrop, which leads to a reduction in biodiversity and an increase in pesticide use.  Furthermore, the process of turning stalk into the soft fiber we like in our sheets is similar to the viscose process used on rayon, which involves sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide, which are caustic substances.

Despite its environmental shortcomings, however, bamboo still has a much lighter environmental impact than pesticide-laden conventional cotton and petroleum-derived polyester.