Editor’s Note
This article highlights a critical yet often overlooked environmental issue: the prevalence of plastic microfibers in our clothing. As the piece explains, a lack of regulation in many countries means consumers may be unknowingly contributing to plastic pollution with everyday purchases. It serves as a timely reminder to consider the full lifecycle of the products we buy.
While we seek freedom from plastic, we are unknowingly wearing clothes mixed with plastic because many countries, including India, are not monitoring this.
Whether you believe it or not, most of our clothes today contain plastic. From warm, shiny, wool-like jackets that protect against winter cold to body-hugging workout clothes and comfortable pajamas, all these garments are either entirely made from plastic fibers like polyester, nylon, and acrylic, or from a blend of synthetic materials with natural fibers like cotton and wool.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that 60 percent of the material used in making textiles is plastic. This includes polyester, acrylic, and nylon. According to a November 2022 report by the US-based non-profit organization Fibershed, the global production of polyester, the most widely used plastic fiber, increased by nearly 900 percent between 1980 and 2014.
There is a specific reason why polyester is so favored in the textile industry. Despite being strong and durable, it offers new possibilities for fashion. Polyester garments retain their shape well. They are also lightweight and wrinkle-free. They neither shrink nor fade. However, perhaps the most important reason for its popularity is that garments made from synthetic fibers are significantly cheaper than natural fabrics.
According to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Textiles, in April 2019, the price of polyester yarn in India was 105 rupees per kilogram, while cotton yarn was 213 rupees—more than double. While plastic-based clothes may superficially seem harmless, their infiltration into the textile industry is concerning. The environmental impact during the production, use, and disposal of these synthetic garments cannot be ignored.
Plastic fibers have larger carbon footprints because they are mostly derived from fossil fuels. According to UNEP, the textile industry alone is responsible for 10 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. This is more than the total emissions from international flights and shipping combined. If the situation remains the same, carbon emissions from this industry will increase by over 50 percent by 2030. According to the World Bank, one-fifth of the 300 million tonnes of plastic produced globally each year comes from these plastic fibers.
Synthetic fibers account for 69 percent of total global fiber production today. Their production requires a vast amount of energy. Although the products used can theoretically be reused, this does not happen in practice. Typically, after a single use, they are either thrown into landfills or incinerated.
This statement is from Common Objective, a global network of fashion brands.
Interestingly, plastic fibers alone are responsible for promoting the ‘fast fashion’ trend, where consumers buy clothes extremely rapidly and discard them just as quickly. In 2000, 50 billion new garments were produced worldwide. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (UK), which promotes the circular economy, nearly 20 years later, this figure has doubled.
This was stated by Urška Trunk, Campaign Manager at the Changing Markets Foundation, a global organization promoting sustainable industrial practices.
Nevertheless, governments are actively aiding the proliferation of synthetic garments. For example, over the next 6 years, India is set to rely heavily on polyester to double its textile exports. At an industrial event in Delhi on October 27, 2022, Union Minister for Textiles, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, stated that India’s textile export market was USD 40 billion in 2020-21 and is expected to grow to USD 100 billion in the next 6 years.
So far, India’s textile industry has primarily been based on natural fibers. Their share in garments exported during April-December 2021 was 70 percent. However, this story is about to change soon. The country’s growing dependence on polyester could lead to significant challenges ahead, as no legal framework or guidelines have yet been established to manage its waste.
Polyester is not a new fabric. Discovered in the late 1930s, its market grew rapidly in the developed world during the 1970s.
