Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution—here's how to clean your clothes more sustainably
Laundry is a top source of microplastic pollution—here's how to clean your clothes more sustainably
Your washing machine is polluting the ocean.
The most common microplastics in the environment are microfibers—plastic fragments shaped like tiny threads or filaments. Microfibers come from many sources, including cigarette butts, fishing nets and ropes, but the biggest source is synthetic fabrics, which constantly shed them.
Textiles shed microfibers while they are manufactured, worn and disposed of, but especially when they are washed. A single wash load can release several million microfibers. Many factors affect how many fibers are released, including fabric type, mechanical action, detergents, temperature and the duration of the wash cycle.
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So now that microplastics are the new hotness, industry is going to run the same plays they did when climate change became critical: blaming and shaming us for their mistakes, and trying to sell us more stuff to work around the problem they created.
I'd love a new washer and dryer, but I live in an apartment and don't get a choice and I can't buy a house because housing is now an investment vehicle. I'd love to hang out my clothes to dry, but because we've gutted healthcare, social services and housing, they get stolen by homeless and/or addicts. I'd love to not have to wash clothes as often, but I have to go into the office and look "presentable" because we can't have commercial real estate lose value by having people work from home.
How about we stop shaming people and bust the proverbial balls of capitalism instead?
Ooooh sorry we can't make money doing that, so.......
I get the sentiment, and you're not wrong! Just wanted to point out that you don't need a clothes line, a collapsible drying rack will work great! You can also avoid synthetics when possible, and more people should. Not saying you have to, but synthetics tend not to last as long because they shed so much, among other reasons. Most synthetics are some derivative of plastic, and others are awful environmentally at production. Plenty of alternatives feel nicer and last longer than polyester for example. Avoid a synthetic blend flannel or sweater, buy 100% cotton or another natural fabric. Or try a tencel/cotton blend for softness if you want! Your clothes will last longer, look better, and fit nicer. There's a reason that jeans from the 70s are still wearable while the $300 designer stretch jeans from Nordstrom start to pill after a few wears/washes and lose their shape and form. Real Denim is just tightly woven cotton yarns.
All great advice but I want to single this out:
You can also avoid synthetics when possible, and more people should.
The same issue applies to this as it does to most things, groceries springs to mind.
Just like with food where the fresh, healthier food options are often more expensive, the same goes for better made and single material made clothing.
The boots theory is a great example of what I mean.
The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet.
That's not necessarily true though when it comes to single material fabrics these days believe it or not! You can buy 100% cotton at a lower price point than lots of synthetics. Pick a store really. For example Old Navy is pretty cheap - they sell 100% cotton shirts, denim, shorts, etc. they also sell synthetic blends, and the pricing is more a function of style than anything. Jump to a higher tier like JCrew - same is true. Nordstrom. Bloomingdale's. Designer boutique. Hell look at jeans. You can get full denim 501s and wrangler on the same shelf as synthetic, same brand and price point. You can get incredibly well made Flanels that are cotton/tencel blends from brands like Patagonia, kuhl, or Fjallraven, or you can get a 60/40 poly/cotton blend from faherty for more money. And in all these cases, what holds true is they'll last you longer, no matter what price point you picked.
It also swings the other way where you can buy much more expensive 100% cotton items at a huge markup over synthetics. Look at reigning champ as a good example - same cotton everyone else uses, huge markup for reasons that their customer base feels are fair enough to keep paying for their stuff. You can also buy synthetics at a huge mark up way over those already marked up cottons. Many designer brands want you to wrap yourself in a 35% polyester, 30% spandex sweatshirt for $400.
One caveat is that in general, finding single material fabrics is all around more difficult for women than men, mainly as a function of style trends. But even that's swinging the other way currently.
I don’t believe it. In part because it was not my experience when I was financially destitute and also because it’s not what I see now.
There may be some options at places like Old Navy that are inexpensive but fast fashion is just trading one devil for another.
Personally I think everyone should thrift as much as they can and avoid buying new when/where possible.
You not believing it doesn't make it untrue. Where do you shop? What do you buy? Find me a reputable store that doesn't carry non-blend fabrics, and I'll find you one around the same price point that does. Nobody suggested you had to go to Old Navy, in fact I used it to demonstrate that even cheap places (Old Navy is all about cheap) have non synthetic options. They're a baseline that holds true as you advance to just about every price point.
You not believing it doesn't make it untrue.
It does not, we’re both sharing anecdotal information.
Where do you shop? What do you buy?
I don’t buy a lot of clothes now, most of my clothing is several years old at least. I buy what feels comfortable, that I like the look/design of and that seems to be well made.
Find me a reputable store that doesn't carry non-blend fabrics, and I'll find you one around the same price point that does.
I never said d stores don’t carry non-blend fabric clothing, simply that disadvantaged portions of the population often don’t have the luxury of choice others do and that they are stuck in a system designed to keep it that way.
Nobody suggested you had to go to Old Navy, in fact I used it to demonstrate that even cheap places (Old Navy is all about cheap) have non synthetic options.
You did not, and I never said you did. I pointed out that the cheap example you used was fast fashion, which many cheap stores are. Which was an ironic choice on your part because fast fashion could be a poster child for the boots theory.
They're a baseline that holds true as you advance to just about every price point.
Yeah, I saw your other examples of places like Patagonia which, again, is ironic because that could be the other side of the boots theory representing what “rich” people would buy.
It’s like you didn’t even read what I posted originally. I think you should check your privilege.
we’re both sharing anecdotal information.
We are not, yours in anecdotal, mine can be verified and duplicated.
disadvantaged portions of the population often don’t have the luxury of choice others do and that they are stuck in a system designed to keep it that way.
And I pointed out that every price point has these options, and offered to demonstrate it. Again not anecdotal. Unless you cannot buy clothes at all, this is not an honest assessment. You "don't believe it", but it is true. If you cannot afford to buy clothing at all, this entire thread doesn't apply to you.
Yeah, I saw your other examples of places like Patagonia which, again, is ironic
That is not what irony means. Saying that a brand where the average price of a new item is $20, and a brand where the average price is over $100 both have single fabric options is not ironic. It's data validation.
You're complaining to complain and/or arguing to argue.
Like the joke about the airplane their point was clearly over your head. ✈️🤣
There are no points on a circle my friend.
Wow, you like being wrong huh? A circle is defined in mathematics as a type of line which is composed of infinite number of points that are equidistant from a given point.
Omg not semantics, anything but semantics
Pedantics, actually. Much like this comment. Semantics would be applicable if you weren’t trying to be superior by dropping a single ambiguous sentence.
Since you left the meaning of your comment ambiguous I interpreted it as your lack of understanding what the mathematical definition of a circle is.
Based on the comment thread it seems like you need all the help you can get. I hope you find it!
More people need to read the millionaire next door. It applies to health as well. Spend a little more on real cuts of steak, chicken, pork, etc and you will be healthier and eat less. Don't have time to cook you say? There are these wonderful thing called an instant pots and crock pots. They can do the cooking while you do other stuff. Hit the clearance rack in the meat department and/or pay $60/year for Costco where that $60 will save you more money than you can imagine.