The ongoing media blitz about the eco-movement, Al Gore's global warming documentary film An Inconvenient Truth, and recently-released scientific reports are raising the American consumer's consciousness to new heights of awareness about global warming and environmental issues affecting our planet—and our lives.
"Our recent survey on consumer and market expectations indicates that consumers are very much aware of and concerned about environmental issues," confirms Melissa Bastos of Cotton Incorporated.
Bastos points to Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor™ and the 2006 Environmental Study, which do, indeed, point to increasing consumer concerns. In the study, consumers were asked how concerned they were on eleven global issues--some textile/cotton related and others such as child labor practices, use of pesticides to grow food, rising sea levels, the use of pesticides to grow cotton, the use of oil and chemicals to make synthetic fibers, and clothing treated with dyes and chemicals. On average, 42% of consumers were extremely/very concerned about these eleven global issues on the environment.
Certainly the range of environmentally-friendly, sustainable products is growing exponentially as everything from building materials to cleaning products to textiles make their way onto store shelves. But are they finding their way home? Besides hybrid cars and energy-saving light bulbs, are consumers putting their money where their conscience is for their own sake and everyone else's?
So far, concern is one thing and actions are another. Surprisingly, according to the study, taking into account the environmental friendliness of a product was least important to consumers' purchase decisions compared to other factors. Only 16% of consumers believe that environmentally-friendly is important when purchasing an apparel product, for example. "And when it comes to fibers, they consider cotton to be the safest for the environment," Bastos explains. "Among those surveyed in 2006, 66% of consumers believed that cotton is extremely/very safe for the environment, which is up from 53% in 2003.
With "organic" and "sustainable" as the bon mots du jour, is something getting lost in the translation to consumers? Consumers do care, and they say they feel just as good about buying home textiles made out of sustainable, conventionally-grown cotton as they would about buying organic cotton textiles.
"I feel more strongly than ever that I need to do my small part today and for my children's future," comments Barbara N. of Pensacola, Florida. "I don't know much about other fibers, but I do know that cotton is a sustainable resource. I also like the look and feel of it so I always buy 100% cotton products, especially in bedding.
"Retailers are taking the eco-movement seriously, too. Last fall, Wal-Mart partnered with MTV Music Television at its new store in New York's Times Square on a "green" initiative called "Everyday Green," designed to promote sustainability and show consumers how to incorporate environmentally-friendly products into their lives.
Retailer giant Wal-Mart has a range of eco-friendly initiatives underway, from products to packaging, and other stores are following suit. This month, Belk department stores will launch MaryJanesFarm Home, a new lifestyle brand by author and organic farmer MaryJane Butters, as an exclusive in more than 200 stores. The line of bedding and decorative accessories is being developed and produced by Homestead to meet what they hope will be a growing demand for eco-friendly products. In addition to fashion bedding, the collection will include organic sheets packaged in reusable, recycled paper boxes. But with heavy-hitters such as Wal-Mart and others making bold organic commitments, the question arises if there will, or can be, enough "organic" cotton to sustain their well-intentioned pledges.
When it comes to textiles, the marketing may be getting in the way of material facts like supply and demand. Currently, organic cotton accounts for less than one-tenth of one percent of cotton grown in the world. But, Dr. Roy Cantrell, vice president, agricultural research for Cotton Incorporated, believes the answer is in sustainability, and he even provides a definition: "True sustainability is not a matter of organic versus conventional; it is a balance of economic, social, and environmental responsibility. The focus on sustainability is welcomed and will help illustrate the benefit of cotton relative to manufactured synthetic chemical fibers. A serious look at sustainability takes into consideration labor requirements to produce the cotton, as well as total land area required to produce an affordable fiber that meets a growing global demand. Conventional cotton can be a sustainable crop; one that over the past twenty years has significantly reduced its environmental footprint and one that is already producing volumes and the stable supply that can keep costs to manufacturers and consumers affordable."
"I recently went shopping for organic bedding," says Justine H. of Cincinnati, Ohio. "But the choices were so limited, and I also realized that fashion and style in my home are more important to me than being strictly green. So instead I bought an environmentally friendly, fabulous 100% cotton duvet cover with a dramatic botanical design printed with water-based inks!"
 This story is one in a series of articles based on findings from Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor™ tracking research. Each story will focus on a specific topic as it relates to American consumers' attitudes and behavior regarding home fabrics, decorating, fiber selection and many other timely, relevant subjects.
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