Plastic pollution is now front of our minds. After learning that there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, many of us are making more eco-conscious choices, like taking a refillable bottle to the gym, buying loose fruit and veg and carrying reusable bags. But, what about the invisible plastic hidden inside your wardrobe?
Clothing and footwear made from synthetic materials contain small plastic fibres. These tiny particles disperse in the washing machine and pass undetected through the filter, eventually entering rivers and oceans. Marine life eats the particles, causing them to accumulate throughout the food chain. Clothes release half a million tonnes of microfibres into the ocean every year, equivalent to more than 50 billion plastic bottles. These fibres have even been found sealed in Arctic ice. So, what you can do to help the problem?