Plastic Fashion

Around 100 billion garments are made globally every year and considering 60% of them contain plastic, it’s no wonder campaigners want the fashion industry to become more sustainable.

Plastic clothes aren’t simply fashion garments made from PVC: many of us are probably wearing clothes that contain plastic fibres without even realising it!

© Mariia Korneeva / Shutterstock.com

Everyday synthetic fabrics such as acrylic, nylon and polyester are partially made from plastic. This causes environmental issues during the whole process, from manufacturing through to wearing and disposing of the garments.

Today, there are an estimated five trillion pieces of plastic, weighing more than 250,000 tons, floating around in the ocean. Around 35,500 tons are microplastics from sources such as clothing. With plastic fibres in garments contributing to this ecological disaster, campaigners are calling for changes fast.

Why are synthetic fabrics popular?

Most of the clothes in your wardrobe are probably made of plastic, with synthetic fabrics being popular because they’re cheap and versatile.

Synthetic materials have different properties from natural fibres and can be more waterproof, stretchy and greater at resisting stains.

Polyester and nylon are made using mainly oil, some of which is a byproduct from other manufacturing processes. This means the clothes can be produced in bulk relatively cheaply and these savings can be passed on to customers, which makes them popular among people who may not realise the damaging effects of plastic on the environment.

Making up 12% of the world’s synthetic fibres; nylon, for example, is a type of plastic derived from petroleum and crude oil - non-renewable energy. Used for stockings and tights, it requires exceptional elasticity, so the product is subject to intense and harmful chemical processes.

The environmental impact is something people should consider before purchasing clothes.

Why are plastic fabrics bad for the planet?

The fashion industry produces 10% of harmful greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, according to scientists.

Synthetic plastic-based materials are part of our life, as they’re in our everyday clothing, sportswear, workwear, bed sheets, towels, curtains, carpets and cushions. Unfortunately, fossil fuel resources, such as natural gas and oil, are required to make plastic fabrics.

Producing the materials, handling the associated waste, washing the clothes and then disposing of them at the end of their lifespan are all bad for the planet. As well as using non-renewable resources, the plastic-based materials are known to release microplastics. These have become a danger to marine life and have even entered the food chain, potentially ending up on people’s dinner tables when we eat fish that have consumed microplastics.

Synthetic materials make up around 70% of household textiles and 60% of garments. Scientists estimate that between 200,000 and 500,000 tonnes of microplastics find their way into the ocean annually after they have been shed by textiles.

When clothing is washed in a washing machine, it releases fibres that travel through the wastewater system and eventually land in the sea. Scientists estimate one 6kg wash releases 728,789 acrylic fibres and 496,030 polyester fibres containing microplastics. More fibres are shed when the clothes are new, but they will continue to release microplastics for the remainder of their lifespan.

Around 5.8 million tonnes of old textiles are discarded each year by households across Europe and two-thirds of these are made of synthetic fibres. Campaigners are calling for separate collections and recycling facilities for synthetic and natural materials to improve the fashion industry’s sustainability.

Making fabrics and garments also uses a staggering 93 billion cubic metres of water annually, equating to 4% of all the fresh water extracted on earth each year.

Is sustainable fashion possible?

While fashion brands may know unsustainable practices are used in the industry, it can prove challenging to make major changes. However, the industry is having to adapt to changing customer attitudes after 96% of consumers in the UK said they had bought sustainable products, including 35% who bought them regularly.

Being eco-friendly has become a serious consideration among shoppers. Fashion brands must try to use materials that don’t damage the environment and come from renewable sources.

There are various ways of doing this, such as using upcycled and recycled materials made from second-hand garments, fabrics such as wool or silk that are biodegradable and natural materials like cotton grown without chemicals or pesticides.

Switching to materials such as recycled fabric or organic cotton will also reduce the amount of water used during production.

Fashion brands need to protect biodiversity by investigating their supply chain, checking where the materials are sourced. Supply chain transparency is important, since research by Business of Fashion suggests 37% of Generation Z and 42% of millennials want to know what has gone into their garments before they’ll buy.

What can people do to make their clothes sustainable?

More than half of the average person’s clothes include fabrics that contain plastics. When you tire of them, don’t simply throw them out. Donate them to a charity shop instead so they don’t end up in landfill.

Next time you shop, buy second-hand clothes, or new ones from sustainable brands. Choose natural materials such as linen, hemp and organic cotton and check for certifications on the label. These include the Global Recycle Standard that shows recycled polyester is genuine, the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification and the GOTS standard showing the garment is sustainable and organic.

You can also help by doing your laundry carefully, filling the washing machine at a low temperature to use less energy. In Europe, the average household does around 200 loads of washing annually, using 15,000 litres of water. Cut down by putting more items in the wash at once, rather than doing several small loads.

Try using special bags, such as the Cora Ball and the Guppy Friend Washing Bag, to trap a large percentage of the plastic microfibres.

For more information on Plastic Fashion talk to Solent Plastics