Growing concern about plastic in our environment sees natural-fibre industries poised for resurgence if they demonstrate eco-credentials to increasingly discerning customers.
Natural fibres like cotton and wool have been losing market share to synthetics for some time but the tide is turning, courtesy of the plastic legacy of main alternatives which are petroleum-derived fibres polyester and acrylic.
Currently two-thirds of new clothing is made from synthetic fibres and washing these clothes is significantly contributing to plastic pollution in oceans, with each polyester garment shedding thousands of microplastic particles adding up to tonnes of ocean plastic pollution over time.
Microplastic is showing up in seafood we eat, water we drink and air we breathe. The human health effects are still under study, although it is known these fibres carry chemical endocrine disruptors that influence hormone functions and chronic disease.
A recent report from the International Union of Concern for Nature confirmed primary microplastics in the oceans predominantly come from machine-washed synthetic textiles. Continue Reading →