Life Cycle Assessment of Cotton
Do you know the impact of your textile products?
A life cycle assessment, or LCA, is a science-based evaluation of the entire environmental impact of a product across every stage of its life cycle. Our cotton LCA considers the impact of cotton’s growth, harvesting, manufacturing, consumer use, and end of life, identifying key environmental impact areas as well as benchmark success over time.
From fiber sourcing to product end of life, stakeholders and consumers alike expect manufacturers, brands, and retailers to know the environmental impact of their textile products and take action to reduce it. Cotton LCAs are a valuable tool to make impact-based decisions efficiently and effectively.
The cotton industry is at the forefront of creating sustainable textiles, with opportunities for environmental improvement and resource conservation sewn into the cotton life cycle.
The ABCs of LCAs
Here are some specific terms to know as you explore cotton’s life cycle assessment.
Global Warming Potential (GWP)
A measure of greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2 and methane.
Primary Energy Demand
The total raw energy used. For example, the energy content of the coal used to generate electricity.
Acidification Potential
A measure of emissions that cause acidifying effects to the environment. An example impact is acid rain.
Eutrophication Potential
Eutrophication covers all potential impacts of excessively high levels of macronutrients, the most important of which are nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P).
Ozone Depletion Potential
A measure of air emissions that contribute to the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer.
Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential
A measure of precursors to emissions that create ground-level smog.
Blue Water Consumption
Water removed from a lake, stream, or aquifer and not returned to the watershed it was taken from. For example, this does not include water for power generation that is returned to the river it was taken from.
Blue Water Use
Any water withdrawn from a lake, stream or aquifer. This includes water used for power generation.
Human Health Particulate Air
Particulate matter air emissions such as dust.
Abiotic Resource Depletion
A representation of the consumption of non-renewable resources leading to a decrease in their future availability.
Explore Cotton’s LCA
The cotton industry has conducted the most robust cotton LCA to date. For the life cycle phases that were examined (Agricultural Production, Textile Manufacturing, and Consumer Use), textile manufacturing was the largest contributor to twelve of the fourteen impact categories. The major sources of potential impact for manufacturing were wastewater emissions from wet processing facilities, energy use in yarn manufacturing and weaving, and upstream production of energy and process chemicals. The Agricultural phase had significant impacts on eutrophication potential and blue water consumption. Nitrogen fertilizer production and use and irrigation water contributed the largest share to impacts in the Agricultural Production phase.
While the Consumer Use phase was not a primary driver for any one metric, the impact of laundering and disposal was similar in magnitude to the Textile Manufacturing phase on several metrics, such as energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. A key source of variance in the use phase is the number of launderings, which indirectly relates to garment life. Well-made clothes tend to last longer, meaning they go through more washes, which adds to their overall impact. However, making clothes that don’t last as long just to reduce washing won’t actually help the environment. The good news is that cotton is a durable material[1], meaning high-quality cotton garments can withstand many washes while still maintaining their look and feel, making them a more sustainable choice in the long run.
Understanding the life cycle impact of your cotton products helps you leverage cotton to reach your company’s sustainability goals. Download Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton LCA for a comprehensive look at cotton’s impact across the supply chain.
Cotton LCA Frequently Asked Questions
What is a life cycle inventory (LCI)?
A life cycle inventory is a database to store data needed to conduct a life cycle assessment.
Is this LCA transferable to cotton nonwoven products too?
The agricultural phase would apply to nonwovens, but the other phases of the study would not.
Why didn’t you compare your results with other fibers used in textile manufacturing for example?
A challenge for comparing any LCA data is being sure the background data is comparable. There are so many variables that differ between the creation, use, and disposal of cotton and synthetic fibers, comparing them would be like comparing apples to oranges.
Were there differences in results for conventionally grown cotton versus organically grown cotton?
We did not collect data on organically grown cotton, as our priority was to characterize the most common global cotton practices. Organically grown cotton makes up less than one percent of the world’s cotton.
Do you track the amount of water used in growing cotton and the production of the material?
We tracked all of the inputs used in growing cotton including water, energy, and fertilizer.
For this LCA, where was the “use” phase evaluated? How many laundering cycles were considered?
Use phase data was collected in the U.S., China, Japan, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Survey responses indicated the average global consumer was washing a polo shirt about 20 times during the life cycle (from the first use) but often would use more than once per wash.
How do these results stack up compared to lower technology cotton producers?
Many of the regions in China and India where data was collected have predominately smallholder farmers. Therefore, they are represented in the global average.
Are you studying waterless methods being used across the industry? How much water is actually being saved?
We have evaluated several low-water technologies for cotton documenting the benefits and opportunities versus conventional cotton wet processing methods.
Are all cotton-producing countries applying these same steps to improve cotton fiber production as discussed (i.e. targeted fertilization of crops and targeted watering)?
Yes. At some level, all cotton producers are trying to find ways to make better use of their inputs. In the U.S. , producers are using advanced technologies such as in-the-field sensors, but even in India, the government is sponsoring programs to help farmers increase input efficiency through education on best management practices.
Did this particular LCA explore the end of life cycle of cotton that is not recycled and degrades in landfills? Would this affect the water impact/global warming impact when these fibers begin to degrade back into the environment?
Yes: We did assume the carbon capture in the cotton fiber was re-emitted to the atmosphere at the time of disposal.
[1] Cotton Incorporated Denim Study, 2024-ASTM Test Method D5034