The study focused on a relatively small number of garments from five major brands, and the results provide only an indication of likely pollution rates. T-shirts, tops, dresses and shorts sold by Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein and Zara were tested.
The study is the first to compare brands for microplastic pollution, Changing Markets believes. The brands are among the fashion world’s biggest producers and users of synthetic fabrics, according to a recent Changing Markets survey.
Nike polyester clothing was found to be the most polluting, for both virgin and recycled fabric. The brand’s recycled polyester shed over 30,000 fibres per gram of sample clothing on average, nearly four times H&M’s average and over seven times Zara’s average.
Shein clothing also stood out. Its recycled polyester garments shed microplastics at around the same rate as its virgin polyester clothing.
Overproduction
Even before today’s findings, environmentalists concluded that fashion’s recycled polyester drive is largely greenwash.
Polyester clothes recycling systems are seen as “important” but also “in development” and only able to process “around two per cent of all recycled polyester”. In contrast, the drinks sector can repeatedly reuse waste plastic bottles, but now has to compete with fashion brands for them.
Meanwhile, fashion’s use of virgin polyester is growing so fast that the share of recycled polyester last year actually fell. The low cost of synthetic fabrics, now being produced at record highs, has driven huge overproduction, overconsumption and waste.
A spokesperson for Puma said: “Our shedding test results on 100 per cent recycled polyester, and 100 per cent virgin polyester fabrics show that recycled polyester does not consistently shed more or less microfibers than virgin polyester.”
A spokesperson for H&M told The Ecologist: “We believe that microfibres need to be addressed at several stages throughout our value chain, including design, production, use and end-of-life, which is why we cooperate with other stakeholders to find effective solutions.”
The Ecologist has contacted Adidas and Patagonia for comment.
This Author
Brendan Montague is an editor of The Ecologist.