How can I reduce plastic in my clothing choices in 2024?
Did you know? At least 69% of our clothing is made of toxic and highly flammable plastic. Yep, that’s right! The fashion industry that we all so heartedly love is responsible for creating a significant surge in plastic pollution across the world, bringing a never-ending list of health and environmental impacts with it.
While many of us are already trying to reduce our plastic consumption by avoiding plastic straws, water bottles, or shopping bags, it’s simply not enough! It’s important to pay attention to the hidden consequences of fast fashion to truly achieve an ecofriendly lifestyle. In this blog, we will share the best ways to reduce plastic pollution in your clothing choices. Let’s get started!
Avoid synthetic fabrics
Before the current Plastic Age, clothing used to be manufactured from natural materials like cotton, leather, linen, silk, and wool. These fabrics are long-lasting and are easier to make, revive, or hold onto for longer.
Now the concept of “fast fashion” has taken over the industry. People are indulging in mass produced, low-cost clothing that is produced and disposed of in less than a year. At every stage, from production to use to disposal, this plastic clothing negatively impacts human health as well as the environment.
Large amounts of fossil fuels are being extracted and processed to meet the increasing demand for trending clothes, releasing greenhouse gases and ultimately contributing to climate crisis. The energy required to produce and transport the plastic used in synthetic clothing causes further environmental degradation.
What’s more? Making and disposing of plastic clothing harms rural, low-income, and Global South communities, resulting in severe environmental and social injustices. Finally, the people working in fast fashion industries are often employed in toxic and uncomfortable working conditions.
While it may not be possible to cut out synthetic fabrics completely from your wardrobe, try supporting brands or manufacturers making clothes out of natural fibres. This way, you can avoid getting toxic microplastics coming from synthetic garments which not only harm humans, but also cause starvation, hormone disruption, broken digestive systems, and stunted growth.
Choose the express cycle
Every time you run a cycle in your laundry machine, opt for the “express” or 30-minute cycle. This way, you are using reduced electricity, leading to lesser abrasion, and the release of fewer fibres into the environment. It is also beneficial for the longevity of your clothing as when clothing faces lesser friction in the laundry cycle, it forms lesser pilling and lasts for a longer period of time.
Use latest technologies
Try adding a couple of new technologies to your laundry regime for reducing the number of microplastics being released in the environment. For example, wash your synthetic fabrics in “special laundry bags” which pick up microfibre particles from your laundry water.
After some washes, simply clean the ball like a hairbrush and filter out all the captured lint. If you are more serious about sustainable fashion, you can install a small lint filter to the back of your laundry machine via a hose.
However, there is no way of disposing these lint fibres sustainability into the waste, so it’s best to be thoughtful from the beginning and phase out plastic from your wardrobe as much as possible.
Use non-toxic detergents
Most heavy-duty detergents are packed with bleaches, surfactants, phosphates, and other harmful chemicals. When these ingredients are released in the waterways, they not only take a toll on your clothing’s tensile strength, but also cause significant harm to aquatic life.
Given the increasing demand for sustainable fashion, many brands have started manufacturing non-toxic laundry powders that are safe for both your clothing and the environment. One great example is BIORESTORE cotton which is an ecofriendly laundry powder made of only six ingredients and is still really effective.
Another tip is to look for laundry products with a limited number of ingredients. For instance, when I see a never-ending list of ingredients mentioned at the back of a detergent’s packing, I consider it as a hint to move on and find something else for my wardrobe.
Wash clothing less often
By ditching a laundry wash every once in a while, you can seamlessly extend the lifespan of your clothing and also reduce water and energy use. This way, less microplastics end up in the sea and with just some extra care, you can preserve your clothing for years to come. Most of the times, simply airing out your clothing can give it a fresh and clean feel without actually washing it.
How can we reduce fast fashion?
Some of the best ways to reduce plastic pollution in your clothing choices and embrace sustainable fashion are given below.
- Buy secondhand or thrifted clothing whenever possible. Plus, who knows, you may find some great vintage or y2k finds that are not usually available in retail stores.
- Always choose high-quality pieces that stay in your wardrobe for years to come. Due to the trend of low-cost clothing (or trendy fashion), no one really cares about quality anymore but that’s not sustainable at all. In most cases, these clothes start wearing out only after some washes and then you have to take them out of your wardrobe.
3. Instead of throwing your clothing away (when you have outgrown it, or it no longer fits, or you don’t feel like wearing it etc.), try donating it to the needy or less fortunate. If not, arrange a swap party with your friends and exchange some pieces. That way, you can not only give your worn-out clothing another life, but also get some replacements for your wardrobe without spending extra money.
