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https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/feb/12/the-hidden-plastics-in-our-clothes-and-how-to-avoid-them>
"There is a lot of plastic hidden in our clothes. Sometimes it’s in plain
sight, like a pair of pleather trousers that squeak with every step. Sometimes
it’s disguised, like the elastic inside the waistband of your otherwise organic
cotton shorts. Often it is invisible, like the microplastics shed by synthetic
materials; while you may never see them, they have been found at the bottom of
the ocean and in human blood, placenta and baby poo.
Despite our awareness of the perils of plastic, fashion’s dependence on it
persists. A recent report by the sustainability not-for-profit Fibershed says
between 1980 and 2014, production of polyester increased by nearly 900%.
Two common plastics, polyester and nylon, account for 69% of all the materials
used in clothing globally and that number is expected to increase to 75% by
2030, according to Georgia Rae-Taylor, the sustainability strategy director for
environmental consultancy Eco-age.
So why do we continue to use plastics? Synthetic materials are cheap and making
them isn’t dependent on seasons or farms affected by rainfall or heatwaves, as
is the case with cotton and wool. Without them, fast fashion and mass-produced
luxury – as well as the incredible waste they generate – would almost certainly
not exist.
“Material sourcing of our clothing matters,” says Heather Podoll who works at
Fibershed. “Our plastic-based textile economy has led to unsustainable
overproduction of clothing that is unhealthy for our communities and our
ecosystems.”
So, besides the glaringly obvious, what other plastic is hidden in our
wardrobes, and how can we do our best to avoid it or minimise its harm?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
