- Almost all parts of the cotton plant are used in some way, including the cottonseed, lint (raw cotton fibre), stalk and hull (shell of the seed)
- Popular uses for cotton fibre include clothing apparel, home furnishings and industrial/medical products such as tents, bandages and cotton swabs
- Well known cotton fibre products include denim jeans, socks, towels, t-shirts, bed sheets and underwear
- Cotton fibre can be woven or knitted into fabrics such as velvet, corduroy, chambray, velour, jersey and flannel
- Linters are the very short fibres that remain on the cottonseed after ginning. Once removed and processed, linters are used to produce goods such as bandages, cotton buds, and x-rays
- The majority of cottonseed is pressed for oil and meal
- Cottonseed oil can used for cooking or used in a range of industrial products such as soap, margarine, emulsifiers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastics
- Cottonseed oil is cholesterol-free, high in poly-unsaturated fats and contains high levels of antioxidants (Vitamin E) that contribute to its long shelf life
- The whole cottonseed, including the hull, is fed to livestock and poultry
- The stalk of the cotton plant is processed for the development of ethanol in petrol or diesel blends and also used as mulch to improve soil organic matter
- The crop stubble that remains on the field following cotton picking is often retained to help limit erosion, conserve organic content and return nutrients to the soil
- The fibre from one 227kg cotton bale can produce 215 pairs of jeans, 250 single bed sheets, 750 shirts, 1,200 t-shirts, 2,100 pairs of boxer shorts, 3,000 nappies, 4,300 pairs of socks or 680,000 cotton balls
