Our Process
K-9 Cotton uses all parts of our T’s. Leftover
sleeves are sewn and braided into color
coordinated, handy treat pouches.
Sleeve Scraps
Dog Treat Pouches
Fun Facts:
• Before flame-retardant cotton was
invented in the 1950’s, cotton was
highly flammable and dangerous.
• The creation of “wrinkle free” cotton
through chemical reagents saved the
fabric from being taken over by
synthetic materials.
About Us
K-9 Cotton is born out of my love of dogs and
an inability to refuse t-shirt giveaways at
Austin festivals. “K” stands for Krakauer-Ganz
and “9” represents my 4 family members and
the 5 dogs I have grown up with. Our mission
is to reduce landfill buildup, greenhouse gas
emission, and high cost of commercial pet
products by repurposing waste into new toys
fur your canine!
~ Zach Krakauer Ganz K-9 Cotton
Play Sets for Large and Small Dogs
The average American throws away
70 pounds of textiles annually.
Source idea for tennis ball toy:
Amelie, Carah. “6 Old T-Shirt Hacks!” Youtube, Sep 13, 2016,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iBsgLY9BJA.
Added creation: chew pulls and treat pouches.
Works Consulted
Watson, Rob. “Landfill Waste Costs Continued to Rise in
2016” SWEEP, January 12, 2017,
https://nrra.net/sweep/cost-to-landfill-waste-continues-
to-rise-through-2016/.
Orwig, Jessica. “How a brilliant female chemist who owns 55
patents re-invented cotton and made it 'the fabric of our
lives'” Business Insider, Sep. 17, 2015, Handmade ● All Natural
Unique Designs
www.businessinsider.com/how-wrinkle-free-cotton-was-
invented-2015-9.
 Why Upcycle? Economy What We Use
Breaking It Down: • Americans send 10.5 million tons Material Retail Cost
of clothing to landfills every year, Cotton T-Shirts $4 each
Environment and cotton dominates about two- Tennis and $1-2
• 100% organic cotton is 100% thirds of all textiles. That equals 7 Small Balls
biodegradable, BUT: million tons of cotton! Needle and $1
• One cotton t-shirt takes up to six • Landfill costs differ by region, but Thread
months to biodegrade. the national cost per ton averages
$50, and is rising steadily. That’s We repurpose free T-shirts from events
• If grown with toxic chemicals, the
toxins seep back into the ground. $3.5 billion for cotton per year! and use discarded tennis balls.

• Most landfills lack the light, water,
and bacterial activity required for the
decay process even to begin.
• Flame-retardant cotton is not
combustible, but since cellulose is a
carbohydrate, carbon dioxide and
water are formed when a heat source
is applied to burn or char cotton.
• Cotton is recycled into rags, paper
products, and new textiles at
varying industry costs.
• K-9 cotton repurposes cotton at
“zero” materials cost. Comparable
dog toys retail at $6 to $10 each.

Chemistry
• Cotton is 99% cellulose after it is
bleached and processed. Ball Toys and Chew Pulls

• Cellulose is a polysaccharide, or • Cotton is a natural fiber grown in

carbohydrate. large, flat areas, such as West Texas.

Cellulose=(C6H10O5)n • Cotton dates back 3000 years to

Element Percent Composition Indus Valley Civilization.

Carbon 44.44% • Invention of the cotton gin in 1793

Hydrogen 6.23% sparked mass production and
Free T’s availability of the fabric.
Oxygen 49.33%
• All-natural fiber cotton composts
completely.