Shopping: the joy of seeing neatly folded clothes in stores, the feeling of different garments gliding through your hands as you move along the clothing racks, and the excitement rushing through you as you receive your bag from the shopping assistance. A simply magical experience! And then, once home: the hint of a fresh summer breeze when you open your washing machine door, and the confidence you feel and project when you put that special something new on for the very first time. Captivating. I will forever be amazed by the spell the fashion industry has cast over us.
Wait? What? Fashion? I thought this article was about microfibers! Yes, today we are going to talk about microfibers. What they are, how they impact the environment, and what we can do to minimize their use.
Simply put, microplastic (plastic particles < 5 millimeters) come in three forms: 1.) microflakes derived from plastic waste such as water bottles or plastic bags, 2.) microbeads predominantly used in the beauty industry (now banned), and 3.) our main focus today: microfibers. Microfibers typically shed from synthetic textiles such as polyester, acrylic, or nylon and are released with every wash cycle (up to 10^7 fibers per wash). Now, why is this a problem? For one, washing machines are unable to filter these microfibers leaving it up to the wastewater treatment plants to do so. The good news – wastewater treatment facilities can/could filter out almost all microfibers. The bad news – the remaining 1-2% of microfibers that make it through the filtered water “…still lead to millions of microplastics in the ocean every day” infiltrating our air, water, food, and bodies”. (Dervishi, 2019, O’Connor, 2018).
Illustration: Dervishi (2019) The Mi
With the rising demand for synthetic fibers over the past decades and the growing global trend of reusing recycled polyester (from plastic bottles for example) you might ask yourself: are we really doing the right thing reusing recycled polyester? Well the jury is still out but as Mary Catherine O’Connor puts it in her article: “Initial research suggested that recycled polyester might shed more microfibers,” says Katy Stevens, sustainability project manager for the outdoor gear industry consortium European Outdoor Group (EOG). “
Great. Another thing to worry about. So, what can we do while we sit in the comfort of our home and once again wait for the market to regulate “itself”, the clothing industry to take ownership, the washing machines and dryers to be upgraded and include microfiber filters, and the wastewater treatment facilities to filter out 100% of microfibers? Well, to be quite frank, there is no simple solution to this problem but I would propose the following: REDUCE.
First, you don’t have to throw all your perfectly good clothes out and start fresh, that would be just as bad for the environment. Instead, treat your existing wardrobe with care to prolong clothing life. In our fast-paced world, it is so easy to fall into the habits of tumble-drying and the likes. Especially when you have kids – trust me, I get it!!! But, just in case you want to reconsider your current routines, here are some nice tips and tricks. And let’s be honest, most of it is actually not rocket science – it’s things that our parents or grandparents have always done, and we just somehow fell out of habit.
Second, embrace slow and ethical fashion. Ever heard of a capsule wardrobe? – It will change your life for the better and your wallet will thank you for it! Choose new pieces with caution and care to ensure that each and every piece you own can be paired together, creating more outfits from fewer pieces. Work with color themes and incorporate trends as accent pieces rather than whole outfits. Consider fewer, but quality items from natural fibers. Now, wait a minute. What about the shedding of natural fibers? Yes. Of course. We should definitely not ignore the fact that clothes made from natural fibers undergo chemical treatment and shed microfibers that are harmful to the environment too – they do, however, degrade MUCH quicker than their synthetic cousins.
Lastly, goodbye fast fashion. Let’s once and for all stop buying items that are intended for limited use only. Headlines like “1.7m sequined items are BINNED after the Christmas party season but won’t ever biodegrade” have got to go. Or as Dr. Trisia Farrelly, an environmental anthropologist at Massey University in New Zealand put it: “Sequins are a short-term hit with long-term consequences, none of them good,”.
As the wonderful Jane Goodall said: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”.
Want to learn more about capsule wardrobes and slow fashion?
- The internet is at your disposal ☺ if you google capsule wardrobe, you will receive an endless list of articles or videos on the topic. If you don’t know where to start, check out Justine Leconte Officiel’s capsule wardrobe playlist or Daria Andronescu – Create your first capsule wardrobe: Pro Fashion Tips (careful this one is a little salesy) on Youtube.
- Good on You. An app that rates over 3,000 fashion brands
- Twentyfairseven. Faire fashion news and guides.
Do you live in Switzerland and want to check out some sustainable brands which you do not have to order from abroad?
- Jungle Folk, Aargau, Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Lausanne, Luzern, Zürich
- Tarzan Store, Basel, St. Gallen, Zürich
- Die Macherei, Zürich
- RRRevolve, Bern, Zürich
- Stadtlandkind, St. Gallen (Online)
- Eco Labo, (Online)
- Kari Kari, Zürich
Want to learn more about microfibers? Here are three interesting reads:
- The Microplastics Crisis – You are the first responder
- Our clothes are contaminating our planet with tiny plastic threads
- Microfibers in oceanic surface waters: A global characterization
We’d love to hear from you. Which slow fashion brands do you think we should check out? Until then, have a wonderful day.
P.S.: NO sponsored content. The stores mentioned are simply doing amazing work and deserve a shout-out.
Blog written by Janine