Cotton is a responsible, natural solution to the microplastics issue.

By Hank Reichle

The planet earth is home to a growing population that today stands at approximately 8 billion people, each of whom is estimated to own more than 100 articles of clothing, bed linens, and bath-room linens. Of course, while how many articles of clothing someone owns varies widely depending upon multiple factors including affluence, necessity, and individual preference, clothing still ranks right up there on the essentials list with food, water and shelter.

The global textile and apparel industry — supplying tens of billions of products annually to keep people adequately, comfortably, safely or fashionably clothed — is not only supplying one of life’s essentials but is a major economic engine and employer, contributing nearly 2 percent to global gross domestic product and a much higher percentage in many developing countries. It is an important industry, but with such scale, we must mind our impact on earth and its inhabitants.

As the textile industry has evolved, the understanding of its environmental and social footprint has increased as has the acceptance of responsibility for limiting any negative impact and increasing any positive impact. Over the past 15 to 20 years, much of the textile industry’s focus has been on environmentally sustainable and socially ethical initiatives. Most of these initiatives are about how products are made.

Increasingly, however, the newest initiatives are more intently focused on the products’ environmental impacts during and after use. Of course, a product’s impact during these two phases of its life cycle is greatly influenced by its components. As part of this new and justified focus, the global textile industry, especially brands and retailers, will be looking for better fiber solutions to mitigate challenges like microfiber pollution and end of life disposal.

Better Alternative

Cotton, and specifically cotton grown in the United States, offers brands and retailers and their customers a compelling fiber solution because the product is a responsibly produced, natural, renewable, biodegradable fiber with supply chain transparency that includes traceability and key environmental metrics.

While cotton, and especially U.S-grown cotton, plausibly has a lesser environmental footprint than synthetic fibers in the production phase, fiber production is not the emphasis of this article. Rather, the focus is on how U.S. cotton is positioned to help the textile and apparel value chain address the huge global microplastics disaster that is unfolding and growing land fill challenge. The microplastics crisis is not a textile-specific issue — 12 percent of all the plastic leakage into the environment from unmanaged or unmanageable waste comes from the polyester value chain, and the textile waste that is managed is estimated to occupy 7 percent of landfill space.

The Cost Of Plastic

Undoubtedly, plastic has made life easier, and it is difficult to imagine a world that is completely void of plastic, but there are environmental and human health costs to that convenience. Plastic poses significant problems because it is not biodegradable. Rather, it breaks down into micro-plastics and nanoplastics that taint the earth’s sea, freshwater supply, soil and air.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the issue with plastics, and they are slowly but surely starting to make the connection that polyester is plastic and that their clothing choices can have a huge impact on the environment and human health, including their own. Because clothing, sheets and towels shed the fibers of which they are made when worn and laundered, they are constantly releasing microfibers into the air and water. Cotton products shed more microfibers than polyester; but when those cellulosic cotton fibers enter the environment, they break down through the process of biodegradation just as nature intended. Conversely, the microfibers of polyester and other synthetics are not targeted by the microbes responsible for biodegradation because they don’t recognize them as natural food sources. Those microfibers contribute to the microplastics crisis facing our environment and human health. Human inhalation or ingestion of microplastics that accumulate over time — including from our food supply; think shrimp and vegetables whose oceans and soil are polluted with microplastics and microfibers — can lead to organ damage, endocrine system dis-orders with negative reproductive and metabolic repercussions, and may even increase the risk of cancer.

Interest In Natural Options

Considering the growing number of microplastics studies and major concerns for the global ecosystem, there is renewed interest in natural components. Likewise, natural fibers are highlighting just what it means to be natural. Two such campaigns are the “Plant Not Plastic” — plantnot plastic.org — and “Make the Label Count” — makethelabelcount.org. The “Plant Not Plastic” campaign, launched by the National Cotton Council of America in response to the findings from its “Microplastics

Corporate Strategy & Insights Consumer Survey,” is a public awareness campaign with a goal of educating consumers on the positive contributions they can make to the environment and human health by choosing clothing and home textiles made from natural fibers. The campaign has taglines like: “Plant, Not Plastic,” “What You Wear Matters,” “Choose Cotton — the natural choice to protect your family and y(our) home.”

While consumers have increasingly moved away from checking labels and have shown less interest in fabric content, the highlighted risk posed by choosing synthetic textile goods is likely to cause a significant change in behavior.

Speaking of labels, the “Make the Label Count” coalition’s work is aimed less at consumers and more at European Commission regulators who are responsible for establishing a standardized life cycle assessment method for measuring and communicating the products and services Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). Under EU regulations, products must be assigned a PEF to enable fair comparisons to be drawn between products when comparing their holistic environmental impacts. The international coalition, made up of natural fiber organizations and environmental groups, has been successful in convincing the European Commission that its preliminary PEF methodology for apparel and footwear has several omissions including microplastic release. Further, the coalition argues plastic waste generation, and the circularity of materials should be accounted for in the PEF.

Cotton Versus Plastic

Cotton wins when it comes to microplastics. It is that simple. Cotton is a naturally occurring plant that grew on earth’s trees, fell onto its soil, and was disposed of by natural biodegradation long before it clothed its inhabitants. In its natural life cycle, carbon dioxide simply moves back and forth from the atmosphere to the plant and then back into the atmosphere.

Some in industry and science want to make the argument that dyed and treated cotton fibers are no longer biodegradable. The dyes and treatments might not be biodegradable, but that’s a small fraction of the fiber’s weight. Comparatively speaking, neither the synthetic microfiber nor the dyes and chemicals in it are biodegradable. But, for cotton to be a viable replacement for brands, retailers, and consumers looking to reduce their microplastic risk, it cannot check only that box, other boxes also matter.

Full Circularity?

End of product life is another critical factor for our industry to consider. Cotton fiber is already more circular than polyester and has great potential to become even more so thanks to the research and innovations occurring within many public and private organizations including Cotton Incorporated, the Cary, N.C.-based not-for-profit research and promotion company for U.S. upland cotton which is funded by U.S. cotton growers and importers. The U.S. cotton industry is incessantly working on ways to keep the carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by the growing cotton plant and stored in its cellulose out of the atmosphere permanently, or at least temporarily, to help lower the textile industry’s carbon footprint.

Examples include compost, biochar, and mechanical and non-toxic chemical recycling and repurposing. Products labeled as “recycled polyester,” are not a polyester-to-polyester product, and it still contributes, perhaps even disproportionately, to the microplastic and land fill problems. If the two fibers are incinerated, cotton simply releases the carbon dioxide it absorbed during photosynthesis while polyester releases multiple toxic gases that are ultimately a source of new, man-made carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Responsible Practices

And, of course, trust in the fiber production system is especially important to brands and retailers. U.S. cotton farmers use advanced, responsible production practices and many are choosing to take the extra step to document what they are doing using practice verification programs like Better Cotton, Regenagri, and the U.S. national sustainability program the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol (Trust Protocol). These programs are not only third-party practice verification programs, but are also a source of transparency, production metrics, and, perhaps most importantly, traceability back to country of origin. Just like cotton farmers, these programs are constantly evolving and increasing the value they offer to the supply chain.

Once such example of evolving program offerings is the Field Partner Program pilot launched by the Trust Protocol. This program allows merchandiser organizations with proprietary regenerative practices programs to partner with the Trust Protocol to provide brands and retailers with regenerative cotton via the program’s existing infrastructure. The standard Trust Protocol verification process is augmented with advanced satellite imagery analysis to validate regenerative practices.

The Trust Protocol has identified minimum requirements for the Field Partner Program based on regenerative agriculture frameworks from leading organizations. The practices observed and measured impact soil health, water use, synthetic inputs, water quality and biodiversity. The Field Partner Program is just one example of what the U.S. cotton industry is doing to make sure cot-ton fiber is a viable, desirable, and safe choice for brands, retailers and consumers.

Buying American Cotton Act

Increasingly, brands and retailers are going to be looking for natural fiber alternatives as they respond to regulatory and consumer concerns over synthetic fibers. The U.S. cotton industry’s number one legislative priority right now is a federal tax incentive that would provide a financial incentive to make that transition to U.S. cotton easier. The Buying American Cotton Act (BACA), introduced in May 2025 by Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, would allow entities selling finished products in the U.S. retail market to claim transferable tax credits if they are able to demonstrate proof of the use of U.S. cotton in those products. The tax credit that may be taken depends on the price of cotton as established by the U.S. Treasury, the weight and type of U.S. cotton contained in the finished good — raw cotton, yarn, or fabric —and where the finished product was manufactured. U.S. manufactured yarns and fabrics’ raw cotton weight multipliers of 1.6 and 6.5, respectively, are applied in the case of U.S. cotton value added products. The final tax credit calculated for the product is determined by multiplying by a location factor of 24 percent if the good was made in the United States, or a country with which the United States has a free-trade agreement; otherwise, the location factor is 18 percent. For example, a product made in Pakistan imported for sale in the U.S. retail market that contains a pound of U.S. cotton valued at $0.85 per pound (lb). would be accompanied by a transferable tax credit of $0.15 when the applicable cotton price is $0.85/lb — $0.85 x 1 lb x 0.18 = 0.15. This credit will go a long, long way to increasing U.S. cotton’s competitiveness at U.S. retail compared to other non-U.S. cotton fiber choices.

Given all that is happening with the microplastic crisis in the world and textile waste, it is time for the global textile value chain to revisit its reliance on man-made fibers and move to a responsible natural solution. Sourcing professionals will do well to give U.S. cotton and all it has to offer a closer look.

Editor’s Note: Hank Reichle is president and CEO of Staplcotn, the oldest and largest cotton cooperative in the United States headquartered in Greenwood, Miss. He also serves as an officer of the National Cotton Council and as a director for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol.

2025 Quarterly Issue IV

Innovations from Nuyarn®, Woolx, Ciele, PAKA and Allbirds are proving that natural fibers can deliver technical performance without compromise.

By Rachael S. Davis, Executive Editor

In the current era of sustainable textiles, one natural fiber has been quietly staging a come back. According to The Woolmark Company — a not-for-profit subsidiary of Australian Wool representing the global Australian wool supply chain and promoting the use of wool in premium textile products — merino wool presently is in demand at unprecedented levels.

A recent press release from Woolmark shared that the Australian wool market has experienced its largest price increase in 30 years, in part influenced by “tight inventories, genuine consumer demand and renewed confidence across the supply chain …” Woolmark believes this shift in the market is because of real demand and is not a short-term movement.

According to the press release, the market value for wool is predicted to almost double from $34.9 billion in 2022 to $63.2 billion by 2033.

Natural Advantages

Once a wardrobe staple along with cotton, wool lost market share with the advent of man-made fibers. Concerns about animal welfare also painted wool as a less than desirable fiber choice. But the natural advantages of wool — including warmth, durability, elasticity, odor resistance, temperature regulation, moisture management, resilience and breathability, among other properties — make it too valuable to exclude from the fiber choice landscape. As a 100-percent natural performance fiber, wool also is biodegradable, renewable and recyclable, making it a perfect fiber for a sustainable ecosystem.

Beyond luxury fashion, where Woolmark reports wool emerged as a key fiber in recent Spring/Summer collections, wool’s natural properties and seasonal adaptability are motivating sports brands to launch innovative wool apparel.

“As citizens demand more from what they wear — comfort, performance, traceability and responsibility — merino wool is meeting the moment,” said Woolmark Managing Director John Roberts. “With leading influencers and brands alike embracing its story, it’s no surprise demand is rising across luxury fashion, sportswear and lifestyle. It’s the fiber that truly delivers, naturally.”

Following is a snapshot of some companies and apparel/footwear brands that are championing the use of wool fiber.

Nuyarn: Driving A Shift In Tradition

According to Andy Wynne, CEO of New Zealand-based Nuyarn®, “The wool industry has undergone a remarkable transformation.” Wynne sees wool escaping its traditional categories of suits, formalwear and sweaters, among other categories, and becoming a “legitimate performance and comfort material across diverse categories including everyday hoodies, footwear uppers, women’s activewear, technical sportswear, loungewear, athleisure and beyond.”

Technology advancements, such as Nuyarn spinning technology, are helping drive the shift in tradition. Nuyarn’s twist-free spinning technology drafts superfine merino wool with a high-performance nylon filament carrier yarn to produce an ultrafine, two-ply yarn with more volume and aeration than merino yarns made using traditional worsted spun-yarn technologies (See “Nuyarn: Wool A New Way,” TW, January/February 2023). According to the company, the light weight and softness of the resulting yarns make them perfect candidates for next-to-skin applications in baselayer garments in particular.

Rather than avoiding the conversation, Wynne prefers to tackle historical concerns about wool head on. The company uses transparency, certification and education including full Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certification, which ensures rigorous animal welfare standards and traceability from farm to finished product. “We’re also bluesign®, GOTS, and OEKO-TEX certified, demonstrating our commitment across the entire production chain,” Wynne shared.

Nuyarn’s primary customers are active outdoor and lifestyle brands seeking to integrate natural fiber performance garments into their product lines. “Our development process is highly collaborative and tailored to each brand’s specific needs and customer base,” Wynne said. “As a fully vertical business — controlling every-thing from yarn production to fabric manufacturing to finished garments, we can offer brands a streamlined partnership with a single entity rather than managing multiple suppliers.”

Just some of the apparel brands using Nuyarn include:

• Artilect — A long-time proponent of Nuyarn, Artilect offers baselayer products and accessories made using the yarn including the Flatiron 185 crew and leggings, which are made using a baselayer yarn blend — 91-percent superfine Nuyarn merino wool and 9-percent nylon — knit into a 185 gram per square meter (gsm) fabric that is bluesign certified. Artilect uses hangtags to share the benefits of Nuyarn with consumers under the “More than merino” tagline. The brand also incorporates a TAP wifi-enabled sticker on the hang-tags so users can scan using a smartphone to learn more online.
• Ibex — Ibex features Nuyarn in its Woolies Pro Tech Q-Zip and Woolies Pro Tech Bottom baselayers. The fabric, comprised of 85-percent merino wool and 15-percent nylon, weighs 125 gsm making it Ibex’s lightest weight baselayer ever. While Ibex does not promote Nuyarn specifically on the hangtags, it touts the benefits of merino in a thoughtfully designed hangtag. The company does explain Nuyarn and all of its benefits on its website in the product descriptions.
• Lé Bent — Committed to performance, apparel brand Lé Bent features Nuyarn in its Featherweight Hooded Merino Crew top and Featherweight bottoms. The 125 gsm fabric is made using a Signature Merino Blend that contains 60- percent merino, 25-percent bamboo and 15-percent nylon.

Nuyarn also has established partnerships with Allbirds and HOKA, and the footwear industry currently makes up one of the company’s largest categories.

Additionally, Wynne announced that the Herculan® technology has allowed the company to transition carpet wool — coarse fibers historically relegated to flooring and upholstery applications only — into high-performance wearable garments. “We’ll be launching a performance wool fleece using this material in fall 2026,” he shared.

“Wool isn’t a fiber of the past, it’s a fiber of the future and I wouldn’t be in this business if I didn’t believe that,” Wynne said. “We’re at an inflection point where consumers are actively seeking alternatives to synthetic materials due to growing awareness of microplastic pollution and climate concerns. Athletes and outdoor enthusiasts are driving demand for natural, sustainable performance options, and technology like Nuyarn makes those choices viable without performance compromise.”

Woolx: Leggings For Active Lifestyles

Woolx was founded in 2012 in Endicott, N.Y. as family-run brand focused on merino wool clothing that combines technical performance and everyday comfort. The product line incorporates essentials, pajamas, shapewear and layers, in ultra-heavyweight fabrics, featherlight pieces and everything in between for all seasons.

Traditional wool has an average thickness of 30 microns, while typical merino wool — known for its fineness — has an average thickness of 21 microns. To avoid any itchy, scratchy sensations against the skin, Woolx uses a super-fine merino wool with an average thickness of only 17 microns in many of its products.

“While wool might make some people think of their grandma’s scratchy sweater, this is not that,” said Nicole Calleo, co-founder and CEO, Woolx. “We’ve taken all the natural benefits of traditional wool —temperature regulation, durability and comfort — and reimagined them in a modern, insanely soft merino that’s as stylish as it is functional.” In addition, all of Woolx’s clothing is ethically sourced and responsibly made. “Every Woolx piece is certified non-mulesed ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare and sustainability, ” Calleo said.

Woolx offers the Stella Leggings and Piper Pocket Leggings. Stella represents one of Woolx’s warmest baselayers for fall and winter, while Piper is a merino wool baselayer with functional side pockets for all-day comfort and performance.

“The idea for Woolx’s merino wool baselayer leggings came from a simple need: clothing that could keep up with active, outdoor lifestyles without com-promising comfort,” Calleo said. “The founders wanted something that could move easily, breathe well, and regulate temperature during hikes, runs or even when used in everyday wear. Merino wool turned out to be the perfect solution — warm when it’s cold, cool when it’s warm, and soft enough to wear all day.”

The company recently extended the use of merino wool to mini Woolx, a new line of kids’ baselayers.

Ciele x Woolmark

Based in Montreal, Ciele Athletics— focused on headwear and apparel for runners — was founded in 2014 by Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles. “We are all very passionate about running, technical garments, responsibility, and doing the best we can as individuals and an organization,” said Dan Marrett, global marketing director, Ciele Athletics.

Ciele works with suppliers to develop technical fabrics and performance constructions tailored for running and movement. The brand recently partnered with Woolmark to launch its first-ever Woolmark-certified merino wool collection of apparel and headwear for winter. According to Ciele, each piece is independently tested and meets the Woolmark standards for durability, colorfastness and quality. Pieces in the line include beanies, balaclavas and baselayers made using 100-percent wool as well as merino/silk blended yarns.

“We’ve been exploring natural performance fibers for a while and that exploration led to our Sorino™ fabric line,” reported Ciele’s design team. “Partnering with an industry leader like Woolmark felt like the right move to help us highlight everything that makes merino exceptional. The Woolmark certification gives runners confidence that they’re getting the best quality merino possible. It’s a mark of fiber integrity, performance and traceability — all things that align with how we approach design and manufacturing at Ciele.”

Ciele is reimagining merino as a year-round performance fabric, not just a cold weather choice. “For us, reimagining merino means leaning into what it already does best and redesigning around its strengths to create true, all-season performance,” the company shared.

PAKA: Alpaca Focused

While sheep’s wool currently is experiencing unprecedented demand, Peru-based PAKA is firmly focused on another fiber in the protein family — alpaca. Founded in 2017 by Kris Cody, the certified B-Corp. business works directly with non-governmental organizations alongside the indigenous people in Peru to create its natural, all-purpose clothing and accessories (See “PAKA: Tri-Blend Fiber Trio,” TW, November/December 2022). PAKA’s mission remains one of connecting people to where their clothing comes from and supporting the communities who make the garments.

“At PAKA, we’re continuously exploring how natural performance can evolve across categories,” said Megan Krajco, PAKA Design director. “Our foundation began with alpaca fiber in sweaters, but our vision is to build a complete ecosystem of products that support everyday explorers.”

Most recently, Paka has expanded into the outerwear category with its patented PAKAFILL® alpaca insulation material, which can replace down or synthetic fiber fill options, providing needed warmth without weight. PAKAFILL is featured in the brand’s Apu parkas and Mayu vests and jackets for men and women.

One interesting product that resulted after a 2022 PAKAFILL puffer launch, was a packing cube. In contrast to the company’s alpaca focused products, the upcycled packing cubes are made using deadstock polyester shell fabric left over from puffer production. The company was determined not to send the unusable material to landfills and came up with the idea for the packing cubes.

“From day one when Kris originally founded PAKA, our focus has been to help consumers connect to our natural world, make more conscious choices and support the Peruvian communities where our products come from,” said Laura Rysz, senior director of Brand and Marketing, PAKA. “That mission truly remains at the core of everything we do today, from the decisions we make on product development to starting team meetings with PAKA Foundation updates.” The foundation was formed in early 2025 to support “alpacas, alpaqueros, weavers and education for the Peruvian communities we work with,” Rysz shared.

PAKA just announced its first-ever Heritage Collection, co-created directly with master Quechuan artisans in Peru. The company gives back 5 percent from sales of the collection to the artisans’ non-governmental organization.

PAKA has also branched out into underwear and continues to innovate in knitwear building on “The Hoodie,” the original sweater PAKA developed. In addition, “the alpaca fiber in every PAKA item now is traceable back to the source,” noted Krajco.

“The wool/protein fiber market has made an incredible shift toward transparency, traceability and regenerative land management that was not part of the mainstream conversation 10 years ago,” Krajco offered. “At the same time, technology is allowing us to enhance what nature already perfected — through improved spinning, dyeing, and knitting techniques that preserve fiber integrity and reduce the environmental impact. What excites us the most is the fusion of tradition and innovation. We’re using modern tools to amplify the story nature already tells through fiber.”

As wool and other protein fibers step back into the spotlight, the apparel industry is seeing a convergence of innovation, transparency and consumer demand. Whether it’s Nuyarn pushing the boundaries of yarn engineering, Woolx refining next-to-skin comfort, Ciele reimagining merino for performance, Allbirds redefining footwear rules, or PAKA building a modern ecosystem around alpaca, these companies illustrate how nature and technology can thrive together. In a landscape once dominated by synthetics, wool and its protein-fiber counterparts are reshaping the future of performance, comfort and sustainability.

Allbirds: Footwear Disruptor Launches PFAS-Free, Fully Waterproof Shoes

A champion of wool since its founding in 2015, footwear brand Allbirds, San Francisco, recently introduced its first fully waterproof collection in three silhouettes — the Wool Runner NZ Waterproof, Wool Runner NZ Mid Waterproof and the Wool Cruiser Waterproof. Each shoe upper is made using merino wool and is treated with C-Zero per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-free durable water repellent (DWR). An additional breathable, waterproof membrane placed between the upper and interior lining further prevents water from penetrating the upper and reaching the feet.

“We were really excited about C-Zero DWR because it gave us the all-weather performance we needed, without having to use PFAS,” said Adrian Nyman, chief design officer, Allbirds. “In the design and development process, we explored different PFAS-free DWRs an ultimately selected C-zero because it delivered the perfect balance of water-repellency, durability, and played well with our toolkit of natural materials.”

Allbirds previously offered a weather-resistant Mizzle style, but had not yet developed a fully waterproof, all-weather option for showers, heavy rain or slushy conditions. “We wanted to redefine what waterproof shoes could be, with an Allbirds twist,” Nyman, said. “While most waterproof shoes lean utilitarian and technical, we believe that by looking to natural materials like wool, we can bring something new and exciting to this space.”

When Allbirds got its start, wool was not material ordinarily used in footwear applications. “But our founders knew it had incredible properties that could be put to use,” Nyman said. In 2016, when Allbirds introduced its first shoe, the Wool Runner, the product “flew in the face of all the ‘usual rules’ of footwear, particularly because of the use of merino wool, an untapped natural material in an industry so often dominated by virgin synthetics,” Nyman noted. “Almost 10 years later, Allbirds has sold nearly a pair of Wool Runners every minute, and the style has become a mainstay in wardrobes around the world — safe to say the founders were onto something!”

2025 Quarterly Issue IV