How Your Clothing is Increasing Microplastic Pollution

A look into the microplastic pollution in the ocean

When you go out shopping for clothes, do you ever consider if the fabric you’re buying is made of plastic? Because you should!

Most of us only think of plastics when it comes to packaging, but not within textiles. However, synthetic fabrics make up the majority of microplastics that are found in our oceans. This goes on to impact all marine life as plastic enters into the food chain. These microplastics get into fish, which many humans and predators then ingest… creating an unhealthy build up of plastic within our bodies, and the bodies of other species.

How Fabric Releases Plastic

Although just walking around day to day in polyester causes the shedding of microplastics, the real issue comes with washing. When we wash materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, hundreds of thousands of microplastic fibers shed off of the clothing and into the water that is being used to wash the clothes. Unfortunately, this water ends up back into the environment, in streams, lakes, and oceans.

For this reason, in recent years eating fish and other seafood has become significantly unhealthier for human consumption with such high quantities of microplastics loaded into the meat.

Reducing Microplastics

Unfortunately, when it comes to microplastics many are not approaching the issue correctly due to the lack of knowledge around what is creating the majority of the pollution. Although we are often finding new ways to cut back on plastics from personal care products, the major source of microplastics in the ocean is still not being addressed enough to make a major change in the health of the oceans and animals around the world.

Eco-Friendly Fabrics to Shop

Therefore, next time you are shopping for clothes, be sure to read your labels. Look for fabrics materials like cotton, hemp, or linen which come from the earth and have a lesser impact on the planet! And remember that even though certain articles of clothing are enticing, they may contribute to whales dying from a gut full of plastic… and eventually humans seeing impacts of having plastic buildup. While cheap, synthetic clothes can be tempting, they aren’t worth the pollution they cause.