Cotton news and archive

How textile colour accelerates ocean microplastic pollution

A growing body of scientific research is beginning to quantify what the fashion industry has long suspected: synthetic clothing, particularly polyester, is one of the major sources of microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans. Now, a new paper by Chen R., Zhao X. and colleagues at the Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,...

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Better Cotton Initiative rebrands and introduces new traceability label

The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) marked World Cotton Day with a comprehensive rebrand and the launch of a new traceability label, underscoring the organisation’s efforts to enhance transparency and accountability across the cotton supply chain. The move includes a redesigned logo, website, and the reinstatement of its original full name, fter...

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Hemp denim: Fashion for Good aims to scale up sustainable alternative

Hemp has been praised in the denim industry for years, yet it has not been scaled up. Fashion for Good has announced a new project to investigate this issue. The project involves innovative start-ups and commercial partners such as Bestseller, C&A, Reformation, PDS Limited and Target. Two denim producers, Bossa from Turkey and Nice Denim from...

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Good on You report: Are brands really using certified cotton?

Researchers from Good On You (GOY) have found that brands often communicate extensively about their use of sustainable cotton, while their assortments in practice rely heavily on synthetic fabrics. This is the main conclusion from the new Cotton Rankings Report, which GOY helped compile for the charity Solidaridad. The 2025 Cotton Rankings...

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The difficulty of correctly assessing the sustainability of cotton

Cotton has been the world's most popular clothing fibre for years. Surveys confirm this time and again. However, cotton is no longer the most produced clothing fibre. Its market share in the total fibre market is now only around 20 percent. This was not always the case. In the 1960s, its share was about 70 percent, and at the end of the 1980s it...

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NGOs crack down on alleged human rights violations within Australia’s fashion industry

Organisations in Australia are cracking down on local fashion brands suspected of carrying out systemic labour rights violations. A new report by Oxfam Australia, backed by the Human Rights Law Centre, has outlined evidence of exploitation and child labour specifically across Bangladesh’s garment supply chain, with potential links to Australian...

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India suspends raw cotton import duties until September 2025

The Indian government has temporarily exempted all customs duties on raw cotton imports, effective from August 19 to September 30, 2025. The exemption removes an 11 percent import duty, which included a 5 percent basic customs duty, a 5 percent agriculture infrastructure and development cess, and a 10 percent social welfare surcharge. This...

Fashion

Paige marks 10th anniversary of Transcend with special campaign

California-based fashion brand Paige is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of Transcend, its signature men’s denim fabric, with the launch of a special campaign. Marking the first-ever campaign dedicated to the Transcend fabric, the brand initiative includes a short film series, shot and produced by Russell Tandy, that takes a closer look at...

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Changemakers in fashion (part 3): Saqib Sohail, head of Responsible Business Projects at Artistic Milliners

There are countless sustainability initiatives, but who in the fashion industry is truly driving the transition—whether or not their efforts are visible to the broader public? We interview changemakers, consultants, sustainable fashion experts and activists. What can we learn from their work? In this third installment, FashionUnited speaks with...

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Cotton and biodiversity: New report demonstrates key role of smallholder farmers

When it comes to cotton, many think of large companies responsible for its cultivation. However, according to Solidaridad figures from 2023, 70 percent of the world's cotton is produced by smallholder farmers. These are family farms of between one and ten hectares. Four key factors are responsible for agriculture contributing significantly to...

Fashion

Engelbert Strauss joins US Cotton Trust Protocol for responsible sourcing

Workwear and protective apparel brand Engelbert Strauss has joined the US Cotton Trust Protocol. As the latest member to join the program, Strauss will integrate the Trust Protocol's traceability platform within its supply chain. Highlighting Strauss's ongoing commitment to responsible sourcing, the move also enhances the brand's current...

Fashion

Circulose launches Circulose Forward to facilitate the adoption of circular materials in partnership with Canopy

Swedish circular material company Circulose has partnered with global NGO Canopy to launch Circulose Forward, a solutions platform, designed to help facilitate and streamline the adoption of low-impact, Next Generation materials and products at scale. The new platform features practical tools, such as a digital materials library, price...