Polyester is Plastic
Do you read the garment labels on the clothes you buy? If you find me in any store, you will see me searching a garment for fabric content. And most often, what I find is: polyester. In a time when many people are eliminating plastic from their kitchens and other areas of their life for environmental and health reasons, there seems to be no focus on the most ubiquitous source of plastic: the clothing that adorns your body day and night.
Companies have come up with many clever names for what is simply polyester. Here are a few:
“Silky Fabric” = Polyester (a far cry from the real silk it’s imitating)
Satin = Polyester
Performance Fabric = Polyester
Moisture Wicking = Polyester
Heat Tech = Polyester (+ Rayon, Acrylic and Spandex)
TechSweat (sorry Outdoor Voices fans) = Polyester (+ Nylon and Lycra)
“crazy-soft” CloudKnit = Polyester
Fleece = Polyester (though in this case J. Crew just writes “poly” how chic)
Vegan Leather = Polyurethane (Made from crude oil)
Waterproof = Polyester and Polyurethane which can contain PFUS
The hang tag on a dress at Aritzia reads “This garment is made with an elevated material from one of Japan’s most innovative mills.” The content label tells us this “slinky” dress is made of 100% polyester. Words are powerful, always look deeper (in this case, at the garment tag).
There have not yet been thorough studies linking health outcomes and the textiles we wear. But, if you think about it even just a little, you will start to wonder. Skin is the largest organ of the body, it is porous, and it absorbs into the bloodstream what we put on it. We know that using chemical laden skincare has deleterious effects, so logic would follow that the clothing we wear has an effect as well.
Some facts about polyester:
Polyester is made from crude oil and other chemicals, read more about the chemistry here
18% market share of all plastic materials produced
Nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester around the world, which is now the most commonly used fiber in making clothes
It takes more than 200 years to decompose
Polyester clothing sheds microfibers into the environment which is a grave issue we are only beginning to understand
Polyester fabrics can cause respiratory disease, and other ailments. Long-term illness is unknown, but I suspect present.
Other similar petroleum-based fibers are; nylon, acrylic, spandex and polyurethane.
So, why does polyester even exist if it is so dubious for our health and the environment? Big surprise, because it’s cheap and mostly owned by DuPont! It’s cheap because the oil industry is heavily subsidized. It is not cheap if you think about the environmental cost of oil drilling and CO2 emissions, microfibers and the effects on your health. It is also wrinkle resistant, stain resistant, dries quickly, and can be made into many different shapes and textiles, or blended with other fibers.
Here are the natural materials to be on the lookout for that are safer for your health:
-Silk (Always look at the label! There are many fakes. You want to see 100% silk)
-Hemp (The hemp plant grows quickly and regenerates soil in the process)
-Linen (Made from the Flax plant, is more laborious to produce and manufacture so can be expensive)
-Organic Cotton (A heavily pesticide-sprayed crop, opting for organic is better when you can)
-Cashmere (My personal favorite besides silk. It regulates temperature, is so very soft, is anti-microbial and durable.)
-Wool (No longer Grandma’s itchy sweater, merino wool garments can be made into every kind of garment including sportswear and perform better than polyester)
