Sally Fox: Taking the “Tox” out of Cotton Socks

Have you ever thought about what goes into making your average pair of cotton socks or your typical T-shirt? Believe it or not, a lot of chemicals! Most cotton farmers apply heavy doses of chemicals to their cotton plants to keep pests away. And manufacturing companies use chemical bleaches to make the cotton bright white or chemical dyes to make it brightly colored. But both the bleaches and the dyes can pollute the environment. That’s what led Sally Fox, president and founder of Natural Cotton Colors, to try an innovative alternative: growing colored cotton!

Most cotton plants produce white lint. Sally learned, though, that some plants produce cotton in other colors. “Sort of the way different kinds of apple trees produce yellow or red or green apples,” she explains. After a bit of experimentation, Sally and her company have been able to grow cotton with lint that is green, brown, khaki, and auburn. No chemical dyes are needed! What’s more, these plants are generally hardier and more pest-resistant than white cotton. So by introducing the colored-cotton plants to farmers, Sally is helping reduce pesticide use, too. Doesn’t that just about knock your socks off?!