Pure Beauty

Boots tackles 'world's dirtiest crop' by switching to organic cotton products

Published: 15-Nov-2022

The high street beauty and health retailer is hoping the move will help consumers shop more sustainably

Boots has pledged to swap ten million own-brand cotton wool products for organic alternatives. 

The high street health and beauty chain will now source its cotton wool pads, balls and buds from GOTS certified organic suppliers. 

Prices will remain the same, in an effort to help consumers shop more sustainably, claimed Boots. 

Non-organic cotton has been dubbed the 'world's dirtiest crop' as a report by The Soil Association found the material accounts for 16% of global insecticide use – more than any other single crop. 

GOTS certification means the cotton is farmed without the use of persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, to sustain the health of soils and the environment. 

​​Cotton farmers are then able to grow additional crops alongside cotton, such as food, which they can use for personal consumption, or to create another source of income.

John Sweeney, Head of Product Sustainability at Boots, said: "This is a really important move. 

"It takes into account the entire supply chain and ultimately benefits the cotton farmers and in turn their families and the local community. 

"What’s even better is that we’re doing this at no extra cost to our customers, helping make organic cotton wool easily accessible for anyone who wants to make this sustainable switch for the good of others and the planet.”

This latest initiative from Boots follows a number of sustainability pushes from the Walgreens-owned retailer. 

Boots vowed to stop selling wet wipes containing plastic fibres in April, roughly 800 million wet wipes annually, and it recently removed secondary plastic from its Christmas gift offering.

 

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