Synthetic textiles — why you should avoid them
Synthetic textiles have many amazing qualities. They can be shaped in many different ways, they can be used to create certain textures and lasting garments that don’t stretch nor change shape or color, they are cost-efficient, and they are also easy to wash and maintain. And as a result of these varied characteristics, the development of the synthetic fibers revolutionized the fashion industry in the 1960s.
Since then, synthetic fiber textiles have paved the way for what we today like to call the “fast-fashion industry”. Cheap fabrics in combination with decreased production costs have given us low retail prices, and today we can consume clothes like never before, almost like disposable items.
Great. Or it would have been if it wasn’t for the tiny fact that everything that we produce, consume, own, or discard, in one way or another comes from the earth. A fact that may be easier to grasp when you think of “natural fibers” such as wool, linen, or cotton. Having this mind, it might come as no surprise that one of the most important (and easiest) things you can do for the environment according to the climate change campaign group, Extinction Rebellion, is to invest in “good” textiles. Adversely, this also means that we should avoid investing in artificial — synthetic — fibers.
Here are three reasons why:
Nylon
Nylon was introduced already in the late 1930s’ and has since been used for the benefits of its elasticity, abrasion, mildew, and water resistance. You might primarily think about nylon stockings, but nylon is often blended with other natural or synthetic materials due to its many advantages and as it comes in many different shapes and forms.
And so to the dirty details… Nylon is non-biodegradable as it’s made from petrochemicals that are chemically obtained from cracking or chemical processing of petroleum oil or natural gas. The nylon production creates and emits a greenhouse gas called nitrous oxide which can cause a skin irritation called dermatitis and which is 300(!) times more potent than CO2.
Today, there are a few better and greener alternatives to nylon, one of them is Econyl which is nylon made entirely from recycled nylon collected from our oceans and landfill. Econyl is still non-biodegradable but at least it’s not contributing to new toxic emissions and exploitation of the planet’s resources.
Acrylic
Acrylic was introduced as a cheaper option to wool in the 1950s’ and rose quickly in popularity. In addition to its low price, acrylic fibers share many characteristics and benefits with wool. It is soft, warm, light-weight, it preserves color well, it doesn’t wrinkle but again, in contrast to wool, it is very cheap to produce.
Sounds great, but the disadvantages of using acrylics are many, and they are also quite scary! Firstly, compared to other textiles, it takes a lot of resources to produce acrylic as its production is one of the most energy-intensive ones. Another vital, and maybe even deadly drawback, is the fact that acrylonitrile, the synthetic polymer that acrylic fibers are made of, is suggested to cause cancer to the people working in the production process of the acrylic textile. And as if that isn’t enough, research has found that acrylic textiles releases over 700,000 microplastics every single time it’s washed. This is more than any other synthetic material.
Polyester
Polyester is the most commonly used synthetic textile used in more than 55% of clothes produced today. Polyester earned its high wardrobe-share thanks to its cheap production, versatility, strength, resistance to heat, shrinking or wrinkling. In other words, polyester is a wardrobe-friend to trust as it always stays the same and never changes. And in terms of production, the making of polyester is less water-intensive and has a more efficient dying process compared to many other synthetic textiles.
Unfortunately, this synthetic textile is also a bad guy. Although polyester can be recycled — it often isn’t — and its production has a very negative impact on local water supply. Residues often are emitted in local water streams, contaminating drinking waters and causing problems not only for life in the oceans but also for wildlife and humans who are depending on these water resources.
What’s the best option?
Learning more about these synthetic textiles, you might be wondering which one of them is worse or better than the other? The answer to these questions is that they are all harmful to people and the planet and should all be avoided. Just remember the all synthetic — “man-made” — textiles are non-biodegradable and non-renewable as they essentially are made from oil — yep, good old petroleum, and that should be reason enough to avoid them?
In addition to this, synthetic textiles are often produced in countries such as Indonesia, China, and Bangladesh that all have weak, ambiguous, or even a lack of environmental regulations for toxic emissions, pollution, exploitation of air, water, land, and nature. This means that pollution of air and water easily can be surpassed and is often discharged creating dangerous living conditions and cause problems not only for factory workers — but also for the residents living in these areas.
Finally, synthetic textiles are one of the biggest sources of pollution of microplastics (acrylic is just one of them), and every time you wash a garment, it gives away thousands of microplastics that are washed out in lakes and oceans. Next time that you are tempted to buy that cheap but low-quality jumper, think twice and look for natural textiles, recycled materials, or second-hand garments instead, there are tons of good quality and price-worthy options out there.
