Earth Positive garments contain no polyester, only 100% organic cotton. Which means no pollution from microplastics!

Why is polyester bad?
Polyester is a plastic.
The washing of synthetic textiles such as polyester is the largest known source of marine microplastic pollution.

What are microplastics and why are they such a problem?
Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic less than 5mm that have either broken away from larger pieces of plastic or were created that way for personal care products etc.
They do not break down and it is now clear that most aquatic ecosystems on Earth are contaminated by microplastics. They affect marine life and the human food chain.

Microplastics may enter the food chain by being directly eaten by marine animals but can also adhere to the surface of micro-organisms that form the prey for higher levels of the food chain, such as fish. Ingesting microplastics can physically damage animal organs and leach hazardous chemicals that compromise immune function, restrict growth and inhibit reproduction.

How do we avoid microplastics
The solution is to use 100% natural fabrics like organic cotton because even though natural fibres shed during their life cycle, their fibres are biodegradable.

According to a recent review by Periyasamy & Tehrani-Bagha (2022) The production and consumption of textiles is increasing due to population growth and growth of fast fashion. Fiber fragments (1 µm–5 mm) released from garments and home textiles during washing, drying, and wearing are considered a new source of environmental pollution and health hazard. Fiber fragments can be ingested by aquatic animals and substantially threaten their metabolic activities. Small fiber fragments can also enter our food chain by the consumption of sea creatures, sea table salt, and drinking water. 

Plastics are synthetic macromolecule polymers that are used in the many different products.The huge global demand for plastic materials is due to their high performance, low density, and versatile applications especially in textiles. 

A large proportion of single-use plastics end up in landfills, incinerators and contribute to environmental pollution. The plastic particles have been spotted in various places including sea, coastlines, most remote islands, even in the deep sea and Mount Everest.

The global fiber production (synthetic and natural) has increased from 57 million metric tons (MMT) in 2000 to 111 MMT in 2020 and it is estimated to reach 145 MMT in 2030. Since 1995, synthetic fibers have dominated the textile market, overtaking cotton as the most popular fiber type, with synthetic fiber alone accounting for nearly 65% of worldwide output by 2020. Natural and synthetic fibers are used in a wide range of applications including garments, home textiles, filtration and protective clothing.

Generally, the emission of microplastic into the aquatic environment are usually distinguished by their origin, namely primary and secondary. Primary microplastic are microplastics that are directly released into the environment as small plastic particles (<5 mm size) which include the fiber fragments released during the domestic washing process. Secondary microplastics are the byproducts of the natural weathering of larger plastic objects that have been released into the environment.

“Microfibers” is a well-established term in the textile industry as it indicates the fibers with 10–30 µm. In addition, the fibrous materials which released during the laundering also called as microfibers. To differentiate these different meanings of microfibers in the textile industry as well in domestic washing, the microfiber consortium (TMC)  and American association of textile chemists and colorists (AATCC) have proposed to use the term “fiber fragments” instead. According to the review in Science Direct

“fiber fragments are defined as polymeric fibrous materials with a regular or irregular shape ranging from 1 µm to 5 mm”

The source of fiber fragments from textiles and garments may get into the marine environment in different routes, the emission of fiber fragments to the environment is mainly due to garments made from synthetic fibers (34.8%), tires as a result of friction (28.3%), road markings, landfilling, and other sources like fishing nets, etc. Most of the fiber fragments are commonly discharged into the environment after domestic washing. These tiny fibers may end up in the marine environment and enter the human food chain via sea table salt, contaminated water, and eating sea creatures. 

Many countries have started noticing the importance of the release of fiber fragments and they have regulations in place to reduce the impact of fiber fragments. As an example, the California state government recommended using a new fiber fragments filter system for washing machines. This is an efficient way to minimize fiber fragments shedding from the domestic washing process. Australian federal government collaborates with the washing machine manufacturers to place the microfiber filters in all new washing machines by 2030, so fiber fragments that move right into rivers from households across Australia are captured.

Major factors that contribute to fibre fragment release are consumer purchasing behaviour- how many new garments consumers buy and how often clothes are washed- after every wear or after multiple wears, which determines the amount of fibre fragments released.
The water temperature of washing garments also plays a role. Temperatures of 30 degrees and higher increase the release of fibre fragments. Washing powder/liquid based on nonionic detergents are preferable for washing clothes at lower temperatures.

Nowadays, most textile products are made from polyester fibers (approximately 70%). Polyester fibers are considered a threat to the environment because they are hydrophobic with an extremely low biodegradation rate.

Recommendations for the impact of textiles on the environment- 

Textiles should be used and reused as long as possible before they end up in landfills.

Textiles should be recycled as much as possible.

Bio-based fibers from renewable resources such as cotton should be promoted over oil-based synthetic fibers. They are biodegradable.

Textiles should be washed under milder conditions with less mechanical agitation. Any washing parameter (e.g., temperature, pH, rotational speed and duration) that increases the degradation and breakage of fibers during laundry should be optimized. 

Environmentally friendly textile coloration and finishing processes should be adapted and persistent chemicals should be omitted/banned from the textile treatments.

In addition, the awareness programs in public consumers, educational programmes for school to university level can play a vital role in the reduction of fiber fragments emission.

Join us on this journey – Choose Earth Positive at OCC Apparel  and be part of the change.