More Oil. More Pollution. More Microplastics.
If cotton disappeared, the world would still need clothing, bedding, towels, medical textiles, and countless other products. Much of that demand would be met by synthetic fibers such as polyester, increasing reliance on fossil-fuel-based materials. More synthetics would mean more fossil fuel consumption and more plastic entering the textile system.
Synthetic fabrics also shed microplastic fibers during manufacturing, wearing, and washing, and those particles can persist in water, soil, wildlife, and human bodies. Cotton is renewable and biodegradable; polyester is not. A world without cotton would mean more fossil-based fiber, plastic pollution, and persistent waste.
