Have you ever considered what goes into the making of the clothes you wear? Whether you are wearing the latest trends or sticking with a minimalist closet, it's important to think of where you buy your clothes and the potential effects they may have on the environment. If you are like us here at Ocean Advocates, we are trying to learn and improve our daily habits in order to conserve and protect the oceans and marine life within them.
The fashion industry is known to be one of the biggest polluters on the globe, and is predicted to be worth $1.3 trillion based on 2020 data. And the industry is growing. World Economic Forum reported that people are growing out their closets 60% more than they were in 2000. This means that more fast fashion producers are creating more and more quick fixes to fill this demand.
What is fast fashion?
To begin, you might be asking yourself what fast fashion actually is. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as “clothes that are made and sold cheaply, so that people can buy new clothes often”. Most often from this, the workers who create these clothes are not well paid and not treated with respect, making fast fashion clothing not only environmentally damaging, but also creating human rights issues too.
What does this have to do with the ocean?
So what does this have to do with the ocean? Well, what these numbers and the media often avoid telling consumers about their products is the damage that they are doing to the world. Because fast fashion prefers quantity over quality, the fabrics and clothes that are created are made from cheaper products. The most used fabric within the fast fashion industry is polyester, which is a fabric made out of plastic fibres. And it's unfortunately not just polyester you have to look out for, other key fabrics that contain plastics are nylon and acrylic, making up about 60% of the materials used in the fashion industry.
So what is the effect of these synthetic fibres on the environment? The issue comes from the washing of clothing made out of these products. Every time these clothes are washed, microplastics are leached into the environment. Because of the size of the fibres, just under 5 millimetres in length and a diameter that is measured in micrometres, every wash can release hundreds and thousands of these microplastics into the environment.
When we think of plastic waste that is found in the ocean, often what comes to mind are pieces of straws and plastic water bottles, but what is more common and more dangerous to marine life are these microplastics.
Studies have found that microplastics can be found in the bodies of animals that live in the Mariana Trench, making the contamination of these plastics extensive. Statistics have come out that around 75% of the world’s marine life have microplastics in their bodies. Even more so, microplastics can be found in the foods that we eat and drink, potentially leading to lifelong health issues with animals and humans.
What can I do to help reduce my microplastic waste?
Some people came up with a way to contain and halt the microplastics that are shed when a washing occurs through making a bag to place your laundry in while it is in the washer. From this, the bag collects the microplastics and stops them from entering the waterways, curbing some of the microplastic waste.
Here are some places which sell this product, and will send it to you in a sustainable manner!
This blogpost is by no means us here at Ocean Advocates telling you to go and throw out all of your clothing! In fact, the most sustainable thing you can do is to use every piece of clothing you have until it no longer functions properly. Over 85% of textiles end up in landfills each year, so wearing your clothes until they are threadbare is crucial in reducing the waste that comes from the fashion industry.
We are also not wanting everyone to only buy and wear sustainable clothing brands! Sustainable fashion is expensive, and not everyone may have the luxury of purchasing products from these brands! We are purely here to provide you with facts and tools to consider the next time you are hunting for a new pair of trousers.
Want to learn more:
Here are some additional websites that can provide even more information on the issue of microplastics
Comments