Sustainability - Fabrics

When I look through my closet, more than half the items are made of fabrics with synthetic fibers: things like polyester and acrylic. They are incredibly versatile. I can remember when polyester replaced cotton when I was growing up and everyone thought “how wonderful” because it was wrinkle resistant and lasted longer. Now I still enjoy those features but am realizing that that are downsides to synthetic fabrics in terms of sustainability.

• They do not biodegrade easily. The fabric will last long after the garment is unwearable.
• If the fibers do get into water - they can be ingested by fish and other wildlife and cause health problems or death.
• They are derived from fossil fuels.

So - if the goal it to live more sustainably, there are actions to take:

• Look at the fiber content of all new clothes purchases and minimize synthetic fabrics.
• Wear clothes as long as possible. My goal in many cases is to wear the completely out --- and then recycle them.
• Recycle (or donate) clothing rather than putting it in the trash.
• Launder synthetic fabrics only when needed (i.e. hoodies and vests usually don’t need to be laundered every time they are worn) to minimize the fibers into the water supply.