The Plastic Clothing Impacting Your Health

Millions of new clothes are produced every year for the $2.5 trillion global fashion industry. Many of these items are inexpensive fast-fashion pieces made of plastic fabrics derived from petrochemicals, such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon. Buying clothing made of plastic fabrics may seem like an affordable and harmless way to keep up with the latest trends. However, these clothes can have a major impact on your health.

Every time you wash a polyester shirt or jacket, the plastic-based fabric releases microplastics into our waterways through wastewater. This process releases an estimated half a million tonnes of microplastics into the ocean annually, contributing to the global problem of microplastic pollution. When marine organisms consume these microplastics, and humans consume seafood, microplastic particles end up in our bodies. Though the full effects of microplastic consumption are still being studied, repeated exposure to microplastics could impact our reproductive systems, stunt children’s growth, and lead to inflammation. 

Additionally, many of the chemicals found in our clothing are known to damage human health through repeated exposure. In one study, a fifth of the clothes sampled from fast-fashion brands contained concerningly high levels of harmful chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting phthalates and PFAs. PFAs, also known as ‘forever chemicals’, are used to coat clothing, enter the water supply when these clothes are washed, and never break down in our bodies or the environment. Moreover, the disposal of plastic fast-fashion items through incineration or in landfills releases toxic pollution that harms human health and contributes to global warming. Given that fast-fashion consumption is growing and over half of fast-fashion clothing produced is disposed of within a year, the impact of this disposal on our health is highly concerning.

So what can we do? We should avoid buying fast-fashion whenever possible, as the majority of fast-fashion clothing contains new plastics. Instead, we can prioritise buying clothes made of natural materials and purchasing second-hand items online or from charity shops. Your health and the planet will thank you.

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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk

Image: shopper browsing clothes - Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels (ST ref: 1378)

Edited by Sophia Stilwell