Microplastics
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Cotton is recorded as Natural Fiber with no listed microplastic polymer, so it does not add a microplastic-source penalty.
Natural Fiber
Cotton clothing: health and sustainability score
A natural, biodegradable fiber. Organic cotton is more sustainable, using less water and avoiding harmful pesticides compared to conventional cotton.
Score drivers
Greener Closet scores materials from several penalty inputs. The same material can be reasonable in one product and weak in another, but these are the default drivers behind the base material record.
No default penalty
PFAS uncertainty
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
MaterialsDB does not apply a base PFAS penalty to Cotton. Product-level water, stain, or performance finishes can still change PFAS risk.
Half-life and biodegradability
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Cotton has no persistence penalty in MaterialsDB, which generally reflects better biodegradability than petroleum-based synthetics.
Fiber shedding
Penalty 0/100 - weighted impact 0
Cotton has no default microfiber-shedding penalty in MaterialsDB. Garment construction and laundering still matter.
Manufacturing energy
Penalty 70/100 - weighted impact 7
Cotton carries a manufacturing-energy penalty, so production impacts remain part of the score even when microplastic risk is low.
Safer alternatives to consider
Best next step
Paste the full fabric label into the homepage checker. A 95% cotton, 5% elastane garment will not score the same as 100% cotton, and the checker handles those percentages.
Use the material-label checkerRelated scored products
1056 visible scored products include Cotton.
Linen Duvet Cover and Pillow Sham Set
Brand: Kotn
98/100
HomeDuvet Covers
Linen Fitted Sheet and Pillow Set
Brand: Kotn
98/100
HomeSheets
Ensemble drap-housse et oreiller en lin
Brand: Kotn
98/100
HomeSheets
Sea Bloom Print Duvet Set
Brand: Coyuchi
97/100
HomeDuvet Covers
Sea Bloom Print Duvet Cover
Brand: Coyuchi
97/100
HomeDuvet Covers
Willow Organic Throw
Brand: Coyuchi
96/100
HomeBlankets
Birch Organic Duvet Cover
Brand: Coyuchi
96/100
HomeDuvet Covers
Birch Organic Duvet Set
Brand: Coyuchi
96/100
HomeDuvet Covers
Common questions
Does Cotton clothing shed microplastics?
Cotton has no listed microplastic polymer in MaterialsDB, though garment construction and washing still affect fiber release.
Is Cotton biodegradable?
Cotton has no half-life penalty in MaterialsDB, which is a better biodegradability signal than petroleum-based synthetics.
How should I check a Cotton blend?
Use the Greener Closet material-label checker with the full percentage label, because blends can change the final score even when Cotton is only one part of the garment.