One of the major environmental impacts attributed to the textiles and apparel industry, at least in part, is the proliferation of microfibers of polyester and other plastics into just about everything on earth, including human bodies. The emission of these microfibers comes from many sources, including home laundering, and these plastics don’t biodegrade, which means they are there…well, just about forever. There are also microfibers emitted into the environment from natural fibers, and their impact is still being studied. It is hoped that they will biodegrade quickly enough to prevent serious consequences, but the jury is still out on that.

There are several ways to mitigate this problem. One way is less frequent laundering of clothing. Experts say we wash our clothing way too frequently! Changing that will take a major change in mindset, especially in the developed world, but it is a change worth promoting. Not only could that cut back on microfiber emissions, but it also conserves water and energy, also important in the sustainability story.

Today, some 60% of clothing is made from polyester or polyester blends, according to most sources. So moving more of it to natural fibers could also be an effective mitigation approach, assuming those natural microfibers do, in fact, cause less damage than plastics.