Hitchin: Boots has announced it will shelve its own brand cotton wool to a more sustainable option - as well as removing unnecessary plastic from its Christmas gifts range.

According to experts, current cotton production methods are environmentally unsustainable - with non-organic cotton dubbed the 'world's dirtiest crop'.

This due to traditional cotton production requiring substantial amounts of water, so it depletes local water reserves, impacts and wildlife and affects the health of farmers.

However, in a move to help boost the environment, the Boots store on Hitchin High Street and up and down the country, Boots will switch 10 million units of cotton wool to be 100% organic this year.

This move is the retailer's latest sustainability commitment after pledging to remove all wipes containing plastic fibres from its shelves by the end of 2022 and removing all unnecessary plastic from its Christmas gifting range.

Boots said: "We committed to sustainability and has switched to only sourcing GOTS Certified 100% organic cotton wool to sell with no price increase for customers

"GOTS certified organic cotton farmers grow other food crops alongside to feed themselves and their communities

"The GOTS certification means the cotton is farmed without the use of toxic, persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, and in fact sustains the health of soils and the environment. This supports the farmers of cotton, allowing them to grow additional crops alongside cotton, like food, which they can use themselves or as a source of income."