Our clothes are made of synthetic microfibers that affect the ocean
These synthetic microfibers can be found in places you wouldn’t expect
They exist in the polar ice cap
They also exist in the Mariana Trench
The Mariana Trench is the deepest trench in the whole world
Our washing machines release these microfibers into the ocean
People have been worrying about single-use plastics
Restaurants no longer use plastic straws and bottles
Lawmakers worldwide are banning their use
Plastic bags float in the sea and entangle wildlife
However, synthetic microfibers are just as dangerous
They’re small pieces of nylon, polyester, and acrylic
Because they’re so small, they cannot be seen by the naked eye
Our clothes are actually composed of plastic
When we wash them, hundreds of thousands of small plastic pieces are washed away
Reports estimate that half a million tonnes of microfibers are released into waterways per year
The average American / Canadian family releases 500 million microfibers every year
This was reported by the Ocean Wise conservation organization
Water treatment prevents many of these microfibers from reaching the ocean
However, a big chunk of them still end up there
Water treatment centers in developing countries are also less effective
This allows more of the microfibers to enter their seas
Marine biologists say that microfibers are less harmful to the oceans than big plastic bags
However, they don’t have enough evidence to really prove this
Micro-organisms that eat the microfibers are then eaten by bigger species
The evidence of affected micro-organisms disappears quickly
Scientists have been researching on how society could reduce the micro-pollution in our seas
Many have suggested washing clothes less often
You could also lower the temperature at which you do your laundry
Anything above 30 degrees Celsius breaks down the fabric faster
Liquid detergent is also a better option than powder
Powder detergent scrubs the fabric
Scientists also suggest not using a dryer
Minimalism should also be pursued
First-time washings send more microfibers into the ocean
Buy fewer clothes to prevent this
Eco-friendly outfits nowadays address at least one problematic step of the fashion process
This process involves clothing manufacturing, treatment plants, and the washing itself
Several brands pride themselves in making clothes not prone to microplastics
Some people have also resorted to wearing only natural fibers
However, even cotton is a problem
Cotton needs large amounts of water to grow
Farmers also use a lot of pesticide to protect them
These are ecological problems in themselves
Ultimately, the only way to prevent the release of microfibers is to stop wearing clothes
Of course, this isn’t possible
Instead, stop buying new clothes
The problem of fast fashion exists everywhere
Until the mid-twentieth century, fashion designers worked in seasons
These seasons were based on the year: winter, spring, summer, and fall
Now, fast fashion relies on the replication of styles and fast production
They also use very low quality materials to keep the outfits cheap
Unfortunately, these same materials are breaking down, into our oceans