some negative impacts of cotton are:

1. Natural resource intensive: water & energy use.
2. Pollutants: pesticide, fertilizer and other chemical use that can harm both humans and the surrounding environment.
3. Social impact: poor working conditions, contact with hazardous chemicals, poverty level wages.

GLOBALLY WE USE OVER 25 MILLION TONNES OF COTTON ANNUALLY.

Some alternative methods of growing cotton include: organic grown cotton, low chemical cotton, rain fed cotton and drip irrigated cotton.

Polyester production is similar to cotton. One can argue, which fibre is more sustainable. Polyester production uses minimal water as apposed to cotton, but both produce a considerate amount of energy. Both contain harmful pollutants that can harm both humans and the surrounding environment.

Some alternative SUSTAINABLE methods of polyester production include: polyester not using catalyst agents - cobalt/manganese salts and avoiding antimony based catalists and recycled polyester.