Washing Clothes is Polluting the Oceans

It is cheaper, more stain-resistant, can be washed in cold water in a washing machine and dries up much faster than cotton. In fact, sixty percent of our clothes today, are made of synthetic fabrics, and they are all just different forms of plastic. Polyester is actually polyethylene terephthalate or PET plastic molded into filaments that are then woven into fabric.

Nature report estimated that about 35 percent of the huge amount of microplastics that enter the ocean each year come from synthetic textiles. Hence, our clothes are a major part of this problem.

Plastic fibers have been found in the water we drink, the food we eat and even in the air we breathe. Microplastics are highly toxic and can in certain cases cause death of the animals ingesting these particles, but they also act like sponges, soaking up other toxins present in the water. They are being ingested by all sorts of marine wildlife and accumulating in the food chain. A recent study found that almost 73 percent of the fish caught at mid-ocean depths in the Northwest Atlantic had microplastic in their stomachs. Microplastics have been found even in the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean.

Approximately half a million tonnes of microfiber from synthetic clothing is entering the ocean each year. Not just this, these microfibers are continuously released into the air. Young children may be particularly at risk of pulmonary issues due to the microfibers released into the air from polyester clothing or the curtains in your home.

While cotton, wool, and silk completely biodegrade within a few months to a few years, polyester continues to remain on earth in some form or the other- it is non-biodegradable and never disintegrates in the true sense.

We should try to as much as we can for minimizing the use of plastic. A major step we can take in this direction is to have as many drinking water stations and touchless bottle fillers as we can, installed in public spaces. This will minimize the need for buying water packaged in plastic bottles.

In one wash load of clothes approximately 700,000 microplastic fibers are released into the environment. This amount may vary as it depends on many factors such as temperature of the water, garment construction, type of detergent or fabric softener used, how full the machine was and the type of fabric. A study found that top-load washing machines release seven times more microfibers compared to front load washing machines.

In 2016, Napper and a colleague designed a test to see how many of these fibers could be shed in the wash. They fitted a Whirlpool front-loading washing machine with a special filter to collect tiny fibers. They tested swatches of three types of fabric: a polyester-cotton blend T-shirt, a polyester hoodie, and an acrylic sweater. After a few washes, the acrylic fabric shed the most, followed by the polyester, and then the poly-cotton blend. All garments shed more when they are brand new. [vox.com]

Synthetic fibers being more durable can be taken as a positive attribute from the environmental point of view also, because if clothes last longer people will buy less.

In spite of its being less water intensive compared to natural fibers the detrimental impact of polyester on water bodies is much greater compared to cotton or other natural fibers because polyester cannot be dyed using low-impact and natural dyes. Polyester needs chemical dyes, and the residues of these chemical dyes often get discharged in the water streams. So, while polyester doesn’t need as much water to be produced as natural fibers, it causes much higher degree of pollution of large water streams - killing fish, wildlife, and potentially poisoning individuals who depend on these water streams for their water needs.

Also, it requires wood and oil to produce and so contributes significantly to environmental pollution. Pretty much all polyester and polyester-blend scraps go into the landfills because polyester can’t be recycled, unlike pure cotton. As soon as you add more than 5% polyester or any other synthetic fabric to cotton it can’t be recycled because we cannot recycle mixed fabrics. Polyester also gets smelly so natural fibers like cotton and merino wool are better especially when you travel. Also carry reusable steel water bottles instead of plastic bottles. You can refill your bottle from drinking water stations installed in various places. In most airports, railway stations, malls etc. you will easily find a machine from which you can fill drinking water.

Textiles industry is energy consuming and water intensive and the second largest polluting industry today after oil. It contributes 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost 4 percent of global carbon emissions. Toxic chemicals from garment industry go into the water bodies untreated as environmental laws are quite lax in most countries where majority of the manufacturing and processing of garments takes place.

There needs to be a multi-pronged strategy. The real challenge lies in convincing the consumer to pay more for more ecologically sustainable clothing. Synthetic clothing is more affordable - but it shouldn’t be a luxury to be environmentally conscious.

Due to the obvious reasons, it is often seen that an environmentally conscious consumer is an affluent consumer. We can’t expect everyone to go out and purchase stainless steel straws or all-glass water bottles or for that matter everyone to start wearing organic cotton, wool, or hemp clothes.

Still we must try to buy natural fibers, or fewer clothes overall and "wash only when necessary."

"We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world." – Howard Zinn

Travel & Food Blogger| Worked as Editor at the Times of India| Corporate Communication| Brand Building| Content Creation|