The Life Cycle of a T-Shirt: From Cotton Field to Charity Shop — And why that “£4 bargain” might cost more than you think A T-shirt. Soft. Comfy. Probably cheap. But what’s the real story behind it? That innocent piece of cotton in your wardrobe may have travelled thousands of miles, consumed gallons of water, and been sewn in conditions you wouldn’t wish on anyone — all before you wore it twice and chucked it in the back of the drawer. Let’s follow the journey of the humble T-shirt. Step 1: Cotton Farming Most T-shirts start life in cotton fields — in countries like India, China, or the US. It takes around 2,700 litres of water to produce just one cotton T-shirt — that’s one person’s drinking water for 2.5 years. Pesticides and fertilisers used in non-organic cotton farming can harm local ecosystems and workers' health. Step 2: Spinning, Dyeing & Knitting Once harvested, cotton is: Spun into yarn Knitted into fabric Dyed (often with chemical...
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