What you need to know about microplastics from textiles

Microplastics and textile fibre fragments

Fibre shedding from textiles is a major source of environmental pollution. Many clothes today are made from synthetic textile fibres, among them polyester, nylon and acrylic. However, when these fabrics are washed, fibre fragments fall away, leading to aquatic pollution. Find out how you can mitigate the effects of microplastics in the environment

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Infographics references

¹ https://epthinktank.eu/2022/05/04/textiles-and-the-environment/#:~:text=The%20amount%20of%20clothes%20bought%20per%20person%20in%20the%20European,all%20categories%20of%20EU%20consumption  

² https://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/intserv/working-papers/wp053/index.html#:~:text=The%20textile%20and%20garment%20sector%20accounts%20for%20a%20signifificant%20proportion,in%20carbon%20emissions%20per%20year  

³ https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/biodiversity-the-next-frontier-in-sustainable-fashion 

⁴ https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/apparel/recycled-fashion/market-potential  

⁵ https://www.iberdrola.com/environment/microplastics-threat-to-health  

⁶ https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/documents/article_2_microfibers.pdf