IN previous articles, we have highlighted the problem of microplastics in the environment, the air we breathe and the food we consume. This month, we’ll look in some detail at the clothes we wear.
Microplastics are minute plastic particles that have disintegrated or washed off from larger plastic items. For example, car tyres wear down as we use them. We can’t see the tiny pieces that are left on the roads but collectively, in the UK alone, tyres shed 68,000 tonnes of microplastics into the environment every year.
Microplastics are found everywhere, from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench. At altitude, they can travel vast distances on prevailing winds; in the sea, they are at the mercy of the currents and concentrate in the 5 Gyres on the planet - areas of ocean spirals which concentrate jetsam and flotsam.
Major sources of microplastics in the environment include packaging, vehicles and clothing. It is within our control to some extent to reduce the contamination of our planet. We can avoid highly packaged products, particularly if the packaging cannot be recycled. We can use cars less, particularly for short trips or where public transport is possible.
One of the easiest ways for microplastics to enter our drinking water and the sea is through clothes washing. Nearly all clothes now contain plastic, with polyester, acrylic, nylon and lycra being the most dominant. Plastic clothing is very popular - it is easier to iron, it’s stretchy, it’s light, it’s warm (think of fleece) and cheap. So, what’s the problem? Plymouth university found that 700,000 microfibres are released every time we wash our clothes in a machine. 86% of microplastics found in the ocean derive from clothing. Strangely, the ‘delicates’ setting has been found to release more microfibres than others. 9.4 trillion microplastic fibres are released from the washing process each week in the UK alone.
We are only just beginning to address the issue. Recently, one washing machine has at last appeared on the market that includes a microplastics filter. One company has developed a retro-fitted filter for existing machines. Filter bags that you put your washing inside, and balls that collect microfibres have been available for some years now. An all-party group of MPs, together with the Women’s Institute, has called for legislation to require all new washing machines to be fitted with microplastic filters. Companies are developing either new biodegradable fabrics made from bamboo, kelp and orange peel (yes!), or recycled products made from natural materials like cotton, wool, hemp, linen, silk etc.
Fashion brands are using a percentage of recycled polyester, nylon or other plastics-derived materials in their products, but clothing itself is really hard to recycle because of the mix of plastics and other materials. Even bamboo socks include an element of spandex or elastane.
At the moment, genuinely green alternatives are mostly expensive, but will become more competitive if adopted by enough people. Meanwhile, there are lots of ways to avoid buying new clothes and make the most of the second-hand market. Try charity shops and also donate unwanted clothes to them. Social media sites have local groups where you can offer and buy pre-loved children’s clothes among other things and for fashion items, there are now websites that specialise in selling on good second-hand clothes. Buying fewer new clothes can not only save you money but also help reduce the manufacture of new synthetic fabrics made from finite fossil fuel.
We could all make New Year’s resolutions to choose more eco-friendly clothing, buy more second-hand clothes made from natural materials, wash clothes less frequently, and fill the machine to capacity each time.