Cotton Creates Sustainable Denim that Consumers Love

Since its popularization in the 1950s, denim has been a closet staple and consumer favorite, with durability and versatility that make it both a practical and fashionable fabric. At the center of these qualities is the fiber that makes denim possible: cotton.

 

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Is Denim Cotton?

 

Yes. If it’s not cotton, it’s not denim.

Denim textile has been made primarily or completely from cotton since the 17th century. Today, leading brands are still choosing cotton for authentic, durable and sustainable denim. Because of its properties as a fabric, cotton denim has consistently held consumer preference,1 making it an even more attractive choice for brands across the globe.

 

 

Cotton Offers Unique Benefits For Denim

Cotton offers unmatched comfort and breathability for fashionable, reliable denim apparel. It’s no coincidence that 71% of consumers prefer their denim jeans to be made from cotton or cotton blends.1 Cotton provides the authenticity, durability and sustainability that make the denim market worth over $18 billion today.1


Authenticity

Durability

Sustainability

Innovation

Authenticity

56% of consumers surveyed say cotton is the most authentic fabric.2 Consumers not only prefer cotton, 71% of consumers prefer their jeans to be made from cotton or cotton blends.1 Cotton denim delivers the timeless look and feel that consumers love, ensuring your products stay true to the essence of denim.

71%
of consumers prefer their jeans to be made from cotton or cotton blends.1
Nearly 80%
of consumers identify cotton and cotton blends as the most durable type of apparel.2

Durability

Cotton denim is known for its strength and longevity, reducing wear and tear and giving any apparel the potential to be worn over and over again. In a Cotton Incorporated study, 100% cotton fabric was found to be up to 60% stronger in width after 20 washes compared to a synthetic blend.4

 

It doesn’t take an industry pro to identify cotton’s durability. Nearly 80% of consumers identify cotton and cotton blends as the most durable type of apparel.2 And it’s not just perception: a 2024 survey found that 93% of consumers say durability is a purchase driver for denim jeans.1

Sustainability

Cotton is a sustainable fashion textile. It is a biodegradable, natural fiber. Its production is at the forefront of regenerative agriculture, making cotton denim a responsible choice for the environment. Consumers are aware of this, too, with 68% recognizing cotton as safe for the environment.2

68%
of consumers recognize cotton as safe for the environment.2
$18Billion
The denim market is worth over $18 billion today and is projected to reach $21.5 billion by 2028.1

Innovation

Cotton leads in innovation, too, bringing versatility to denim. New finishing technologies, such as laser finishing, provide sustainable alternatives to traditional methods. These innovations deliver comfort and versatility, vintage appeal and fashion-forward style, all while making the manufacturing process more resource-efficient.

 

For an overview of denim manufacturing, see our Denim Manufacturing Basics page.

Cotton Denim Is Sustainable Denim

From production to processing through end-of-life, cotton provides opportunities for sustainability in denim throughout its lifecycle, shrinking apparel’s environmental footprint.

 

 

Cotton is a natural fiber

Since cotton is grown, not made, it is considered a natural fiber. Natural fibers offer environmental benefits like sequestering carbon during crop production and biodegrading after use.

 

Biodegradability is important for textiles, because all textiles shed tiny strands of material, called microfibers, during use and in the wash. The microfibers released by synthetic fabrics, however, are microplastics, which don’t biodegrade, and instead pollute our waterways and harm wildlife and ecosystems. Cotton microfibers, on the other hand, can biodegrade,5 and therefore do not contribute to microplastic pollution. Denim made exclusively with cotton is the better choice for avoiding microplastic pollution from textiles.

 

 

Cotton can be grown through regenerative agriculture

One of cotton’s major benefits is that it is a natural fiber, grown from plants. Not only that, but U.S. cotton growers are also increasingly using regenerative agriculture to farm cotton. Field to Market defines regenerative agriculture as a suite of principles that “sequesters carbon in the soil and intentionally improves soil health, biodiversity, water quality and air quality while ensuring the viability of farm production.”6 Various regenerative agriculture practices are commonly used in U.S. cotton production:

 

 

Cover crops are grown between cotton harvests or alongside cotton plants.7, 8

Conservation tillage and no-till practices decrease erosion, increase organic matter in the soil and help increase soil carbon accumulation rates.9

Crop rotation is when farmers grow other cash crops between cotton harvests, like corn, soybeans and peanuts.10

Integrated pest management (IPM) emphasizes pest control with long-term prevention techniques instead of chemical pesticides.

Biodiversity conservation includes practices that enhance habitat for microorganisms, insects and wildlife.

 

 

Sustainable denim finishes

Cotton denim manufacturing presents opportunities for sustainability to be built into every step of its production path, from farm to fiber to finishing. Sustainable denim processing options like laser finishing, NoStone®* technology and ozone and enzyme bleaching agents produce the same look and feel consumers love while saving resources and minimizing environmental impact.  

 

* NoStone® is a registered trademark of Tonello.

 

 

 

 

Denim is circular

The sustainability attributes of cotton denim extend beyond creation and wear.   After cotton has been worn time and time again, its life isn’t over. In fact, when cotton is disposed of in the right way, it is a circular material, and can be reused, recycled or composted.

 

Denim recycling is made possible through programs like Blue Jeans Go Green, which allows consumers to mail in their used denim to be recycled into new products like insulation material or pet bed inserts. If it can’t be reused or recycled, cotton denim can be broken down in industrial facilities to create compost that can be used to help crops, like cotton, grow.11

 

Download our Cotton’s Circular Lifecycle brochure.

 

 

 

Like Fashion, Denim Is Perpetually Evolving

Although denim history extends over centuries, trends are always changing. New premium denim fabrics, sustainable dying techniques, modern fits and innovative styles are continuously evolving. Keep up with the latest in denim with Cotton Incorporated’s Trend Forecast.

 

 

Start Creating With Cotton Denim

With its authenticity, durability and sustainability, it’s no surprise that cotton denim remains a consumer favorite for versatile apparel that is always in style. The denim market is projected to reach $21.5 billion by 2028!1

 

With innovative solutions that are constantly updated, there’s no limit to what you can create with denim. Get started with the latest denim fabrics on the Material Library.

 

#7002 Twill – 3/1 Right Hand

#6899 B Twill – 3/1 Right Hand

#7058-3 Twill – 3/1 Right Hand

#6951 Twill – 3/1 Right Hand

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1. Cotton Incorporated. (2024). Denim Jeans Outlook – 2024. https://www.cottoninc.com/market-data/supply-chain-insights/denim-jeans-outlook-2024/
2. Cotton Incorporated & Cotton USA. (2024). Global Lifestyle Monitor: USA. https://www.cottoninc.com/market-data/supply-chain-insights/2023-global-lifestyle-monitor-us/
3. Salfino, C. (2024, 19 April). This is Why Denim is Circular – And Why Consumers Trust It. Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor. https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/this-is-why-denim-is-circular-and-why-consumers-trust-it
4. Cotton Incorporated Denim Study (2024). Data showed that 100% cotton fabric was up to 60% stronger in width compared to a non-cotton, synthetic blend after 20 washes, according to ASTM Test Method D5034.
5. Ankeny, M., Daystar, J., Goller, C. C., Pawlak, J. J., Venditti, R. A., & Zambrano, M. C. (2020). Aerobic biodegradation in freshwater and marine environments of textile microfibers generated in clothes laundering: Effects of cellulose and polyester-based microfibers on the microbiome. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110826
6. Field to Market. (n.d.) Defining Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture. Retrieved August 28, 2024 from https://fieldtomarket.org/defining-sustainability/
7. Bourland, F. (2021). Summaries of Arkansas Cotton Research 2020. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series, 201. https://scholarworks.uark.edu/aaesser/201
8. Peng, Y., Rieke, E. L., Chahal, I., Norris, C. E., Janovicek, K., Mitchell, J. P., Roozeboom, K. L., Hayden, Z. D., Strock, J. S., Machado, S., Sykes, V. R., Deen, B., Tavarez, O. B., Gamble, A. V., Scow, K. M., Brainard, D. C., Millar, N., Johnson, G. A., Schindelbeck, R. R., Kurtz, K. S. M., & Van Eerd. L. L. (2023). Maximizing soil organic carbon stocks under cover cropping: insights from long-term agricultural experiments in North America. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108599
9. Franzluebbers, A.J. (2022). Soil mean-weight diameter and stability index under contrasting tillage systems for cotton production in North Carolina. Soil Science of America Journal, 86(5), 1327–1337.  https://doi.org/10.1002/saj2.20458
10. Wall, D. H. (ed.), Bardgett, R. D. (ed.), Behan-Pelletier, V. (ed.),  Herrick, J. E. (ed.), Jones, T. H. (ed.), Ritz, K. (ed.), Six, J. (ed.), Strong, D. R. (ed.), & van der Putten, W. H. (ed.). (2012). Soil Ecology and Ecosystem Services. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199575923.001.0001
11. Schwarz, M., Alwala, W., Perju, A., Bonhotal, J., Frey, M., Pires, S., Ankeny, M., & Daystar, J. (2024). The Effect of Denim Fabric as a Feedstock in Large Scale Composting of Manure/Bedding and Food Scraps. Compost Science & Utilization, 31 (1-2), 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/1065657X.2024.2349081