Key Insights
Essential data points from our research
Synthetic textiles are the single largest source of primary microplastics in the oceans accounting for 35% of the total
Approximately 500000 tonnes of plastic microfibers are released into the ocean annually from simply washing clothes
Microfibers from synthetic fabrics make up about 85% of human-made debris on shorelines worldwide
A single 6kg load of domestic laundry can release up to 700000 microscopic fibers into the wastewater system
Top-loading washing machines release up to 7 times more microfibers than front-loading machines
Washing clothes at 30°C releases roughly half the amount of microfibers compared to washing at 40°C
Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world accounting for roughly half of the overall fiber market
69% of all clothing textiles are now made from synthetic materials like polyester and nylon
Acrylic fabrics release nearly 1.5 times as many microfibers as pure polyester during washing
Humans ingest approximately 5 grams of microplastics per week equivalent to a credit card largely from fibers
Microfibers have been detected in commercial table salt derived from seawater
73% of mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic contained microplastics in their stomachs
By 2050 the ocean is expected to contain more plastic than fish by weight if trends continue
Global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014 directly increasing microplastic potential
Less than 1% of materials used to produce clothing are recycled into new clothing creating a linear waste stream
Health Food & Ecology
- Humans ingest approximately 5 grams of microplastics per week equivalent to a credit card largely from fibers
- Microfibers have been detected in commercial table salt derived from seawater
- 73% of mesopelagic fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic contained microplastics in their stomachs
- Microfibers are found in 83% of tap water samples worldwide
- Inhalation of microplastic fibers from suspended atmospheric dust affects human lung health
- Microplastics have been discovered in human placenta potentially affecting fetal health
- Zooplankton ingest microfibers which then move up the food chain to larger marine life
- An average mussel portion can contain up to 70 microplastic particles mostly fibers
- Chemicals associated with textile microfibers can disrupt endocrine systems in marine wildlife
- Microfibers have been found in bottled water often at twice the levels of tap water
- 63% of shrimp in the North Sea contain synthetic fibers
- Indoor air contains significantly higher concentrations of microfibers than outdoor air due to household textiles
- Microplastics were detected in human stool samples from every participant in a global study
- Ingested microfibers can cause gut blockage and reduced feeding in aquatic organisms
- Microfibers absorb hydrophobic organic pollutants (POPs) from seawater concentrating toxins by a factor of up to 1 million
- Honey and beer have yielded evidence of atmospheric microfiber contamination
- Microfibers inhibit the hatching of fish eggs in contaminated waters
- Lung biopsies have revealed the presence of cellulosic and plastic fibers in lung tissue
- Studies show microplastics can damage human cells in a laboratory setting
- 93% of bottled water examined in a global study showed some sign of microplastic contamination
Interpretation
Fast fashion's invisible fallout is literally inside us: we swallow a credit-card–sized pile of microplastic fibers every week that turn up in our salt, tap and bottled water, seafood, lungs, placentas and stools, can concentrate toxic pollutants up to a million-fold, harm wildlife and human cells, and effectively make our homes and bodies tiny, health-threatening landfills that future generations will inherit.
Industry Waste & Future Trends
- By 2050 the ocean is expected to contain more plastic than fish by weight if trends continue
- Global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014 directly increasing microplastic potential
- Less than 1% of materials used to produce clothing are recycled into new clothing creating a linear waste stream
- The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions driving synthetic production
- Without intervention microplastic release from textiles to the ocean could increase by 54% by 2030
- The amount of clothes bought per person in the EU has increased by 40% in just a few decades
- Fast fashion brands engaging in ultra-fast cycles release thousands of new synthetic designs daily
- By 2030 it is predicted that 148 million tons of fashion waste will be generated annually
- Only 12% of textile material is recycled in some form globally most is downcycled into insulation or rags
- Synthetic fiber production is projected to grow to 135 million tonnes by 2030
- Land-applied sewage sludge containing retained microfibers releases them into agricultural soils
- 80% of textile waste destined for recycling is actually exported to the Global South often ending up in dumps
- The accumulation rate of microplastics in the ocean has seemingly tripled in the last two decades
- Governments in the EU are moving to mandate microfiber filters on all new washing machines by 2025
- 40% of clothing purchased is never worn contributing to waste streams that eventually degrade to microplastics
- Current recycling technologies cannot efficiently separate mixed fibers (e.g. poly-cotton) preventing circularity
- Incineration of textile waste produces microplastic-laden fly ash that can escape into the environment
- The cost of environmental externalties from the fashion industry including plastic pollution is estimated at 63 billion euros
- Global production of polyester is expected to account for 85% of all synthetic fiber growth until 2030
- Only 20 countries currently have legislation specifically referring to microplastics or microbeads
Interpretation
Fast fashion has quietly turned our closets into pollution factories, with booming polyester, ultra-fast cycles and almost no true recycling sending trillions of microfibers into seas, soils and landfills so that by 2050 the ocean could weigh more in plastic than fish while poorer countries and future generations pick up the multibillion-euro tab.
Marine & Environmental Impact
- Synthetic textiles are the single largest source of primary microplastics in the oceans accounting for 35% of the total
- Approximately 500000 tonnes of plastic microfibers are released into the ocean annually from simply washing clothes
- Microfibers from synthetic fabrics make up about 85% of human-made debris on shorelines worldwide
- Between 200000 and 500000 tonnes of microplastics from textiles enter the global marine environment each year
- Microplastic fibers have been found in the deepest point of the ocean the Mariana Trench
- A study of the Arctic Ocean found that 92% of microplastic pollution samples were synthetic fibers
- Microfibers are now the most prevalent type of microplastic found in environmental samples globally
- 1.5 million trillion microfibers are present in the world's oceans
- About 4 billion microplastic fibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea floor
- Synthetic fibers comprise approximately 60% of the microplastics found in surface water samples from the Great Lakes
- Atmospheric transport deposits an estimate of 3000 tons of microfibers annually just in the Western US protected areas
- Mediterranean surface waters contain microplastics of which a significant portion is textile filaments
- In the Atlantic Ocean microfiber pollution is found at depths of over 1000 meters
- 80% of microplastic pollution in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is composed of microfibers
- 2.2 million tons of microplastics enter the ocean every year with a significant contribution from textiles
- Textile microfibers persist in sedimentary environments for decades
- Microfibers from clothing have been identified in Antarctic sea ice
- 31% of the total plastic pollution prevalence in the open ocean is attributed to microfibers
- Nearly 13000 microfibers per kg of dry sediment were found in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench
- Textile fibers account for 91% of the microplastics found in river water samples flowing into the ocean
Interpretation
We're literally laundering our clothes into the planet, because synthetic textiles are the single largest source of primary microplastics, releasing roughly 200,000 to 500,000 tonnes of microfibers a year and contributing to the estimated 1.5 million trillion fibers now everywhere from shorelines and river mouths to the Great Lakes and Mediterranean, to the deep sea floor and Mariana Trench, to Arctic and Antarctic ice and the atmosphere, where billions of fibers per square kilometer persist for decades and make textile fibers the dominant form of human-made debris worldwide.
Material & Fiber Composition
- Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world accounting for roughly half of the overall fiber market
- 69% of all clothing textiles are now made from synthetic materials like polyester and nylon
- Acrylic fabrics release nearly 1.5 times as many microfibers as pure polyester during washing
- Fast fashion utilizes polyester in 60% of its garments due to low cost
- Recycled polyester (rPET) mechanically weakens during recycling leading to higher shedding rates than virgin polyester
- Nylon accounts for approximately 9% of the synthetic fiber market and sheds persistent microplastics
- Loosely woven synthetic fabrics shed significantly more microfibers than tightly woven structures
- Fleece fabrics shed the most fibers compared to other knit constructions
- Elastane (Spandex) fibers are often mixed with cotton preventing biodegradation and creating microplastic compost pollution
- The production of polyester for textiles has doubled since the year 2000
- Mechanically cut edges in fast fashion garments release more fibers than laser-cut edges
- Aged fabrics shed 25% more microfibers than new fabrics due to polymer degradation
- Brushed synthetic fabrics shed more microplastics because the fibers are already partially detached
- Microplastics from tire wear and textiles combined produce 2 million tonnes of waste annually
- Biodegradable synthetic blends often do not degrade in marine conditions essentially acting as microplastics
- Use of recycled polyester in fast fashion merely delays the release of microplastics rather than preventing it
- 98 million tonnes of oil are used annually to produce synthetic fibers for the textile industry
- 73% of clothing produced ends up in landfill or incineration where synthetic fibers degrade into microplastics
- Textile dyes often contain heavy metals that bind to microfibers increasing their toxicity
- Synthetic fibers produced in 2016 consumed nearly 1.3 billion barrels of oil
Interpretation
With synthetic fibers now making up roughly two thirds of our clothes and polyester alone about half the global fiber market, fast fashion has quietly engineered a slow-motion ecological grenade: cheap polyester and nylon gulp oil and shed prodigious, increasingly toxic microfibers as garments are washed, brushed, aged, loosely woven or mechanically cut, and even recycled or so-called biodegradable blends usually only postpone the inevitable pollution of our oceans, soils and food chain.
Washing & Laundry Release
- A single 6kg load of domestic laundry can release up to 700000 microscopic fibers into the wastewater system
- Top-loading washing machines release up to 7 times more microfibers than front-loading machines
- Washing clothes at 30°C releases roughly half the amount of microfibers compared to washing at 40°C
- Using a laundry bag specifically designed to catch fibers can reduce microfiber release by up to 86%
- Delicate wash cycles actually release 800000 more microfibers than standard cycles due to high water volume
- Powder detergents cause more fiber release than liquid detergents due to abrasive particles
- New clothes release more microfibers in the first 5 to 10 washes than older garments
- Wastewater treatment plants capture about 98% of microfibers but the remaining 2% represents millions of particles daily
- Using a fabric softener can increase the release of microfibers by reducing the friction protection between fibers
- A single fleece jacket can shed up to 250000 fibers per wash
- Short wash cycles (15 minutes) result in 30% less microfiber release than long cycles
- Polyester-cotton blends shed fewer fibers than 100% polyester garments during washing
- High-efficiency washing machines release fewer fibers because they use less water and agitation
- Over 878 tonnes of microfibers are released via laundry in North America annually
- The first wash of a new polyester garment releases the highest quantity of microfibers
- Air drying clothes reduces microfiber shedding compared to using a tumble dryer
- Tumble dryers release microfibers directly into the air through vents often bypassing filtration systems
- One dryer cycle can release a volume of microfibers comparable to a wash cycle but into the atmosphere
- Filling the washing machine to capacity reduces friction and shedding per garment
- The mechanical action of the washing machine is the primary factor driving microfiber release
Interpretation
Fast fashion is quietly weaponizing our laundry: a single six kilogram wash can shed up to 700,000 microscopic fibers, and things like top loading machines, hotter and longer cycles, powder detergents, fabric softeners, new polyester garments and tumble drying multiply the fallout while simple fixes such as front loading or high efficiency machines, cooler and shorter washes, full loads, fiber-catching laundry bags and air drying can slash releases dramatically, yet even with wastewater plants removing about 98 percent, the remaining two percent still means millions of microfibers enter our rivers and air every day.
References
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