Lately, pastel colours appeal to me. They are elegant and have a relaxing effect. In contrast, white feels boring and fails to evoke the lively 'vibes' I crave. A couple of weeks before writing this blog post, I was staring out the balcony door of our house, following the 20-20-20 rule to rest my eyes. A white bath towel hung to dry obstructed my view, and, as usual, a wave of thoughts and questions hit me. 'Monotonous and dull' teased my brain. The questions tumbled in only later.
Reflecting on 2015, as a 23-year-old research scholar reviewing scientific articles, I learned that textile industries are significant polluters worldwide. The environmental impact is substantial. Even as I write today, I realise how I inadvertently contribute to this pollution as a consumer.
The Environmental Impact of Textile Industries
The synthetic dyes used to colour the textiles vibrant and the chemicals to fix them to the textile fibres are laden with heavy metals. These heavy metals make their way into the environment through unscientifically discarded effluents, thus polluting them.
My Encounter with Naturally Pigmented Cotton
While my brain was in 'popcorn mode' during this 20-20-20 rule break (beyond 20 seconds now!), I pondered if naturally pigmented cotton could be a sustainable solution. No! I was not considering natural or vegetable fabric dyes because they bind poorly to the fabrics, necessitating fixants laden with heavy metals.
The naturally pigmented cotton has fibres with inherent pigments. Like flowers coloured due to pigments, the cotton fibres in the cotton plant seeds have pigments, rendering coloured cotton.
Within minutes, I was researching 'pigmented cotton,' all triggered by a mediocre white bath towel. I was elated yet baffled at getting several hits to 'pigmented cotton' on search engines. I had always seen cotton with shades of brown and white, so discovering that cotton can be naturally pigmented in shades of green, red, and blue was a delightful surprise.
Tracing the Historical Footprint of Naturally Pigmented Cotton
Historical evidence suggests the cultivation and use of naturally pigmented cotton in the Americas by its indigenous tribes. Specifically, the Mochica Indians of Peru have been credited with growing and maintaining pigmented cotton for two thousand years! Documents have also recorded a brief use of naturally pigmented cotton during World War II owing to the dye scarcity. However, it was ditched soon after.
Pigmented Cotton, Not So Alluring?
I was astounded when I discovered this information. Why did we ever resort to the commercially available white cotton fibre types when we had a sustainable option all along—naturally pigmented cotton? The reason for sparse attention and awareness of naturally pigmented cotton is its limited commercial value.
Imagine trying to plait short hair into a single, neat braid. It's quite a challenge, isn't it? Similarly, the short fibre length of naturally pigmented cotton makes it difficult to spin them into threads on a commercial scale. Moreover, the low quality and fibre yield do not position naturally pigmented cotton as the ideal sustainable alternative.
Tweaking Genetics to Enhance Naturally Pigmented Cotton
Research is imminent with the rising demand for sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional white cotton. Selective breeding and genetic engineering techniques are the solutions to the limitations. However, customer acceptance of these solutions is the key to successful commercialisation. Let me simplify the techniques to help appreciate how the quality of naturally pigmented cotton can be improved.
The Good Old Selective Breeding Method
Breeding is a term familiar to all of us. It's all about mating 'selected' individuals to obtain a hybrid (offspring) with desired characteristics. The white cotton we know and commonly see is a product of selective breeding.
Long ago, wild cotton parents with desired characteristics were hybridised —a technique in selective breeding— to develop the commercial cotton species we have today. Perhaps a wild parent with long, strong cotton fibre hybridised with a wild parent with a larger seed-bearing a high cotton yield. However, the process is not straightforward. Genetics works on permutations and combinations, making selective breeding an ongoing process that involves trial and error to achieve the desired characteristics.
Picture this, you want a unique shade of red for a painting. You can get this shade by blending the colours white and red. You may need to mix the resulting shades with more white or red. It takes several 'trials' to get the perfect shade. Similarly, obtaining the expected hybrid of naturally pigmented cotton that is commercially viable takes several 'generations' of breeding!
Selective Breeding Explained: Enhancing Traits for Pigmented Cotton – Discover the Process Behind Naturally Coloured (Red) Cotton
Genetic Engineering: The Faster Approach?
During my moment of contemplation, I mulled genetic engineering as the approach to obtaining commercially viable, naturally pigmented cotton. I can imagine a few critics of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) rolling their eyes at this idea. I am not going to advocate the GMOs in this post. After all, genetically modified crops are one of the solutions for sustainable agriculture.
Genetic engineering is the introduction of specific genes responsible for desired characteristics into an organism of interest. Think of Yeast 'introduced' to a batter. Yeast makes the dough rise and improves its texture for good. Similarly, the addition of a desired characteristic-determining gene improves crop quality. Just as the yeast needs the right conditions to function, the introduced genes need a conducive cellular environment to express and produce the desired outcome.
To obtain naturally pigmented cotton, genes for enzymes responsible for pigment production are introduced into the cotton plant. These genes are selected from other naturally coloured plants. When the 'selected' genes integrate with the genetic material of the cotton cell, the cell is termed 'transformed.' With the marvels of technology, a complete cotton plant can be generated from each of these transformed cells. These cotton plants are said to be genetically modified to produce the desired pigmented cotton fibres.
Over the years, several techniques have evolved and are used in tandem to obtain the desired pigmented cotton plants. A palette of naturally pigmented cotton can be developed through selective breeding, genetic engineering, and other approaches. Additionally, while pre-harvest conditions like climate and soil type influence pigment development and its intensity, post-harvest practices play a crucial role in maintaining the pigment of naturally coloured cotton.
What Makes the Pigmented Cotton an Environmentally Sustainable Alternative?
Pigmented cotton eliminates the need for the dyeing process, promising water and energy preservation and lower production costs. What's incredible is that the very pigment responsible for the colouration of cotton fibres also provides pest-resistant properties, potentially eradicating the need for pesticides.
While pastel colours appeal to me, many love brighter hues. Research on fabrics made with pigmented cotton shows that their colour slightly darkens with each care cycle, contrasting with the fading of regular textiles. Additionally, the flame resistance, water-repellency, ultraviolet protection, and antibacterial properties of naturally pigmented cotton only make it an attractive choice for diverse applications.
With the possibility of various shades of coloured cotton fibres and an extended fabric lifespan, naturally pigmented cotton in textiles could be everybody's pick, making it an environmentally sustainable alternative.
It's said, 'With knowledge comes great responsibility.' Knowledge passed down over centuries, blended with modern science, has paved the way to utilise these once fragile and short coloured-cotton fibres efficiently. Now, textile producers and consumers are responsible for embracing these sustainable alternatives for a safe and healthy environment.
If you found this post interesting, share it with others who might appreciate learning about naturally pigmented cotton's environmental benefits and versatile applications. Let's spread awareness and make informed choices for a greener future together!
References
Günaydin, G. K., Avinc, O., Palamutcu, S., Yavas, A., & Soydan, A. S. (2019). Naturally colored organic cotton and naturally colored cotton fiber production. Organic Cotton: Is it a Sustainable Solution?, 81-99.
Madhu, A. (2024). Naturally Colored cotton: a sustainable innovation. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113290
Well written. I never heard about colored, pigmented cotton. Why naturally available cotton can not be directly used ...very interesting
A well-researched, comprehensive blog article. Ty for sharing :)
This was such an interesting read! It never even occured to me that naturally pigmented cotton exists. I wonder if we can obtain the different colors including bright hues of pink,with the natural/genetically manipulated strains..That would be a wonder to see!