This October, a campaign by Soil Association Certification in partnership with environmental charity Hubbub will boost shoppers’ understanding of organic cotton as well as the benefits it brings to the planet.

Launching the campaign will be a public installation at Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush on 3-4 October 2019. The installation’s overall aim is to inspire shoppers to make a positive impact on the environment by choosing organic cotton.

The initiative will help raise awareness of how organic cotton has a positive impact on people and the planet.

The 3.5-meter-high installation will feature a giant water droplet of approximately 2,457 litres; a representation of the volume of water saved in growing the cotton for a single organic cotton T-shirt in comparison to a non-organic one.

Furthermore, the water saved is enough for one person to drink eight glasses of water a day for three and a half years. Considering conventionally grown cotton is in 40% of global textiles and only 19% of cotton is currently sustainable, there is huge potential for change.

New polling by Hubbub found the average Brit massively underestimates how much water it takes to grow cotton. The average estimate of 314 litres of water to grow enough cotton for a T-shirt is just 12% of the actual figure of 2,700 litres.

To explain the campaign further is Clare McDermott, business development director at Soil Association Certification. “We’re in a climate emergency and awareness of the damaging impact of the fashion industry has never been higher. People want more sustainable clothing options. Retailers need to step up and play their part by making options like organic more available in store.

“Our activation at Westfield London is a light-hearted way of doing something serious. Hopefully, we can engage shoppers with the benefits of choosing organic. Also, show retailers that there is a real demand for clothing options that reduce the impact of the fashion industry as the organic textiles market continues to grow.”

Sales of Soil Association Certification organic textiles grew by 18% in 2018 according to the Textile Organic Market Report.

Also commenting is Sarah Divall from Hubbub. “The call for a more sustainable fashion industry has never been louder. Encouraging people to make easy switches when buying something new, like to organic cotton, can make a real difference.

“Hubbub is committed to making the fashion industry better for the planet. Also, making it easier for shoppers to make the right choices. This installation is a great way to show brands and customers at Westfield what they can do to make their stores and wardrobes more sustainable.”

The Soil Association is also publishing a policy report this month.

‘Thirsty for fashion? How organic cotton delivers in a water-stressed world’ examines the “catastrophic and far-reaching” impacts of growing and manufacturing non-organic cotton. Drawing together years of research, it shows the huge environmental, social and health benefits of organic cotton growing and processing.