“Polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic fibres — all of which are forms of plastic — are now about 60 percent of the material that makes up our clothes worldwide” – Vox
“We estimate over 700,000 fibres could be released from an average 6 kg wash load of acrylic fabric” – Marine Pollution Bulletin
This is going to sound really strange (bear with me), but have you ever been attacked by a single, unsuspecting piece of dust? I mean that one dust particle that has the audacity to send you flying into a fit of uncontrollable coughs and/or sneezes? That non-existent, invisible, rude speck? Isn’t it bizarre how something so small can invoke that violent a reaction out of you? Our instinctive response to walking into a dusty room would be to do a 180 turn and walk back out that door. Now, imagine if you didn’t have the option to walk out. Sounds a tad bit suffocating, doesn’t it? That’s probably how fish feel in a sea full of micro plastic.
According to a House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report, “micro plastics are generally classified as particles smaller than 5mm” that end up causing damage to the environment, specifically the marine environment. Microfibres are one such kind of micro plastic. The average wardrobe mostly consists of fabric made of synthetic materials or fibres, and each time we wash these fabrics, a massive cloud of about SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND microfibres is released. Where does all of that go? Well, this fog of plastic funnels from millions of households into our oceans where they have no real way of degrading. The IUCN released a report declaring that up to 35% of the micro plastics observed in oceans come from synthetic plastic fibres released into wastewater treatment systems. These microfibres then enter marine animals’ digestive and respiratory systems, permanently damaging their bodies and potentially causing death. This plastic might even become a part of those whose diets incorporate fish or seafood. Of course, the consumption of fish isn’t the only way that humans are impacted by microfibres. Microfibres also tend to pollute the air, soil, drinking water, and more.
The Question of the Hour: How does Minimize set itself apart in how we approach textiles or fabrics then?
For one, we do not produce our own fabric, we rescue it. Producing our own fabrics would only add to the ongoing impacts the textile industry is creating on the environment. Instead we choose to use rescued fabrics and offcuts. We won’t get into too much detail about it here, but you can definitely find out more on our previous blog post – Fabric Series: Rescued Fabrics!
Secondly, a significant majority of the fabrics we acquire are made of 100% cotton - up to 25% of which is unbleached! - not to be mistaken with “pure cotton.” 100% cotton fabric is natural and biodegradable, while “pure cotton” means that the fabric may well be blended, but the portion of it that is cotton, is pure. Seeing as we rescue fabrics and give them another shot at a full life, we don’t always have complete control over what they are made of. That said, we strive to ensure that the products you receive at the end of the day are sourced and made ethically and sustainably!
STICK AROUND FOR MORE OF OUR FABRIC SERIES!!
By Nishka Rao