What Are Microplastics and Why Our Clothes Might Be Harming Us

You've probably heard the word "microplastics" before. It’s one of those eco buzzwords floating around in news articles and social media. But what are microplastics? Where do they come from, and why should you care? Let’s break it down.

What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimetres in size. They’re either made small on purpose (like microbeads in cosmetics) or they break off from larger plastic items as they degrade over time. They don’t disappear. They don’t dissolve. They just get smaller, sneakier, and harder to detect and avoid.

Where do they come from?

Here’s the surprising part: one of the biggest sources of microplastics in our environment is our clothes. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, and even recycled plastic fibers shed tiny plastic fibres every time we wear, wash, and dry them. 35% of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles. That’s more than any other single source. Every synthetic wash can release 700,000 microscopic fibres into wastewater. These fibres go down the drain, slip through wastewater filters, and end up in rivers, oceans, soil, and even in the food we eat and the air we breahte.

How Do Microplastics Affect Our Health?
Microplastics are not only an environmental problem but also a growing human health concern:

In Our Food and Water: Microplastics have been found in fruits & vegetables, wine, beer, meat, tea, seafood, honey, salt, rice, and even drinking water. Estimates suggest we ingest tens of thousands of microplastic particles every year.

Inside Our Bodies: Microplastics have been found in human organs, including the brain, blood, lungs, testes, ovaries, liver, kidneys, breast milk and the placenta. These particles can cross biological barriers and may accumulate over time.

We’re breathing them in. We’re drinking them. We’re eating them. But what does that mean? Researchers are still studying long-term effects, but early signs point to serious concerns. Microplastics can cause:

• Inflammation in the body
• Hormone disruption
• DNA damage and carcinogenesis
• Neurotoxicity
• Disruption of energy and lipid metabolism
• Reproductive toxicity
• Immunotoxicity
• Potential damage to organs

They can also act like sponges, absorbing toxic chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals and carrying them straight into our systems.

But Isn’t Recycled Polyester Better? It’s better than virgin plastic in some cases, but not when it comes to textiles. Clothing made from recycled PET bottles is often:

• Harder to recycle again
• Mixed with other fibers (making it non-recyclable)
• Still a source of microplastic shedding

Worse, it can give a false sense of sustainability, encouraging more plastic use overall.

Greenwashing: The Illusion of Sustainability

  Marketing recycled polyester and nylon as “eco-friendly” solutions, but this often serves as greenwashing, a way to appear sustainable without addressing the root problem: overproduction and reliance on synthetics.

•  The use of recycled plastic bottles for clothing disrupts true circularity. Bottles that could be recycled into new bottles (a closed loop) are instead turned into textiles, which are much less likely to be recycled again, breaking the recycling chain.

•  Setting “recycled content” targets but continuing to produce massive volumes of synthetic clothing, fueling the fast fashion cycle and the microplastics crisis. 

Shifting the Burden to Consumers

•   Shift responsibility to consumers, suggesting we buy washing machine filters, wash clothes less, or choose “sustainable” options, rather than changing the production methods.

•  Consumers are left to navigate confusing sustainability claims, while the industry’s systemic issues, overproduction, lack of investment in natural fibers, and minimal regulation, remain largely unaddressed. This approach delays meaningful action, allowing companies to protect profits and avoid making the fundamental changes needed to reduce plastic pollution at its source.

 What can we do to avoid microplastics? Here’s how to start:

1. Switch to natural fibers
Look for clothing made from linen, organic cotton, hemp, bamboo and other plant-based fabrics.

2. Avoid single-use plastics
Carry your reusable bag, bottle, and containers. Every small swap helps.

3. Rethink Food Storage and Preparation

Store food in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers. Avoid heating food in plastic containers and use wooden cutting boards instead of plastic ones.

 

4. Say no to plastic glitter and microbeads
They look fun, but they’re harmful long after the party ends.

5. Support plastic-free brands
Choose businesses that prioritise natural materials in clothing, cosmetics, and packaging.

6. Choose loose produce
Avoid pre-packaged fruits and vegetables to reduce plastic waste.

Microplastics aren’t just a fish problem. They’re a human problem. Our fashion choices contribute significantly to this problem. It is important to reconsider the cost of convenience and ask if it’s worth the hidden damage.