Are some textiles, made out of plastic?
Sadly, the answer is most definitely yes. Out of the reported 100 billion items of clothing produced each year, nearly 70 billion are said to be made out of plastic based materials (plasticpolutioncoalition.org).
What are plastic based materials?
Made from petroleum or natural gas, plastic based & most synthetic materials are not biodegradable & add to the mountains of landfill impacting our Earth. A saying I love when it comes to this is, ‘there’s no away.’ These fabrics will be around for ever, affecting our soils, water ways, oceans & inevitably our selves. Look for these textile compositions when reading your garment’s care labels or description online, they’re all synthetic materials to be conscious of:
Polyester
Spandex
Lycra
Nylon
Acrylic
Elastane
Some vegan leather
Some velvet
Some fleece
Polypropylene
Other ways around the plastic in fashion problem
Avoiding plastics in clothing can be incredibly hard! When we think of active wear, swimwear and waterproof garments plastic is the perfect material to use & provides the best function for the piece. So how do we go about investing in these pieces knowing they’re made out of plastic but wanting to lighten our footprints?
We suggest:
Opt for recycled plastic based textiles
Ensure you are going to have the piece for as long as possible
Recycle it through a garment recycling centre when no longer wearable
Make sure it’s of great quality, mend & repair it to prolong its use
Purchase second hand to keep pre existing plastic based textiles out of landfill for longer
Wash minimally and using a microfibres bag to reduce plastics ending up in our waterways
In Summary
Having a plastic free world would be radical! Although this material is here ( in masses) and for now we believe it’s about prioritising natural materials where possible & supporting businesses who are utilising plastic based materials responsibly, helping to reshape the way we use this innovation is the way forwards!