Step 1
Workers harvest cotton by hand in India. Cotton growers use a lot of pesticides or chemicals—about 1/4 pound (.11kilograms) for every t-shirt.

Step 2
The cotton is taken from the Indian countryside to a factory in the city. At the factory the cotton is separated from the fibers, seeds, and other parts of the plant that you don’t want to wear.

Step 3
The separated cotton is shipped to China and spun to produce yarn. The yarn is woven or knit into fabric.

Step 4
The fabric is shipped to a different factory in China where the fabric is dyed and pre-shrunk. Most dyes are oil-based and contain toxic chemicals. These chemicals usually end up in rivers or landfills and pollute the environment.

Step 5
The dyed, pre-shrunk fabric is sent to a factory in Honduras. Here it will be cut and sewn together to become a shirt. These factories don’t always pay their workers enough or treat them very well.

Step 6
Once the shirt is sewn together, it is shipped to a distribution center in California. Now it’s ready to sell!

Step 7
From the distribution center in California, the shirt is packed and sent to a store in your town.

Step 8
After you buy the shirt, you take it home and put it in your closet where it will stay until you’re tired of it.

Step 9
You decide what happens next. Once you’re done with it, the shirt might go to the landfill, to a friend’s closet, to a local thrift store, or you might use it in a quilt or to make a cute bag. Who knows!