Microplastics - I like to think they’re the buzzword of the year. Which would probably be grossly inaccurate, but I do think recognition of this problem is picking up steam after several damning studies have been released.
What studies, you ask?
the problem with plastic:
There’s a lot to process up there. Plastic has currently found its way through the food chain. Without any long term studies, we really don’t know what this is doing to our bodies.
Plastic is a known endocrine disruptor, often masquerading as estrogen in the body, which interferes with our hormones/bodies communication system.
Synthetic estrogens are known to cause problems like obesity, cancer, and infertility. You can read more in this study.
Beyond plastic’s hormone interfering properties, another study was released where plastic acts as a sponge for bacteria.
“Some laboratory studies have found that microplastics can interfere with feeding, digestion, and reproduction in several aquatic species.
“While microplastics may physically harm organisms, there’s also concern that they could leach chemicals such as plasticizers, UV stabilizers, flame retardants, and colorants. In addition to what’s in them, microplastics have also been found to attract pesticides and other toxic chemicals in water.
“Mason says her team has found environmental contaminants that are known carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in higher concentrations in plastic particles relative to the water.” Read More
Check out this blog post on the problem with plastic.
what’s a microplastic?
A microplastic is an extremely small piece of plastic on average 3mm-5mm. Some plastics are born microplastics and others become microplastics.
See, plastic doesn’t ever go away. Plastic won’t biodegrade. It won’t turn back into soil. Instead, over time, it becomes brittle and it breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces until it’s so small it’s a microplastic or nanoplastic.
But, some plastic starts out already small like glitter and microbeads. Some of the other prevalent forms of microplastics are tires and microfibers from clothing.
glitter:
Yep, glitter is plastic. Glitter face masks, sunscreens, festival makeup looks…. this is all plastic. When you go to wash all of that glitter off of your body, it goes straight down the drain and into the water ways. Because, glitter is so small, it can’t be filtered out making it’s way out to the ocean.
SOLUTION:
First, ask yourself if you really need to use glitter? I’m not sure I’ve every been in a situation, where I just HAD to use glitter. But, they do make biodegradable glitter which is made from cellulose so it breaks down very quickly once you was it off. This one donates portions of the sales to Greenpeace International.
microbeads:
Microbeads have mostly been ban. In large part, it would be pretty difficult to find products with microbeads in them now, but they were a major contributor to microplastics in the ocean.
I was surprised to learn the first state to ban microbeads was Illinois back in 2014. In 2017 a ban passed at the federal level adding the US to a long list of countries that have banned the bead. Read More
SOLUTION:
Opt for microbead free products which should be very easy, since most products aren’t manufactured with them anymore.
tires:
Now, this one absolutely shocked me. I was attending the Sustainability Forum at the Phoenix Open when Dr. Leyla Acaroglu an industrial designer and sociologist dropped this piece of knowledge that tires are the number one source of microplastic pollution in the ocean.
According the the Guardian, “68,000 tonnes of microplastics from tyre tread abrasion are generated in the UK every year, with between 7,000 and 19,000 tonnes entering surface waters.”
Our tires go bald due to the friction of driving. As they go bald, they lose tiny bits of tires which are left on the roadways which eventually make their way to the storm drains which lead out to the sea.
SOLUTION:
This one is so tough. Driving less is the best solution. But, even if you’re taking public busses or biking there’s still a problem with tires shedding microplastic pieces. It’s probably time for the tire to get a makeover… which it has. Michelin has just introduced a biodegradeable and 3-D printed tire that would last forever. Let’s hope this becomes a reality!
microfibers:
Lastly, microfibers which are shed into the water ways every time we wash our synthetic clothing like polyester, acrylic, and fleece.
It’s becoming more and more popular to create clothing out of recycled plastic water bottles which results in microfiber pollution in the waterways.
A study by Plymouth University found that a single load of clothes could release up to 700,000 microplastic particles.
SOLUTION:
This is a multi-pronged solution.
1) Wash Less: When it comes to washing your clothes try to stretch washes. Just because you’ve worn something once doesn’t make it dirty. If my clothes don’t smell, then I wear them… until they do smell. And, only then do I put them in the washing machine.
2) Air it out: A great way to extend the life of your clothes is let them air out. After I’ve worn a shirt, I like to turn it inside out and spray it with this mixture, and hang it up in the open air like on the door frame of the closet
I don’t shove the piece back into my closet, I give it room to breath so air can circulate all around it.
3) Opt for Natural Fibers: When I’m shopping, I try to buy clothing made from natural fibers. It can be really hard since spandex is in almost everything, but I’m looking for at least 90% natural fibers when I check the tags on clothing.
For me, I just can’t stand synthetics on my skin. I’ve found that polyester and acrylic fabrics, which are plastic, aren’t breathable. They’re not able to regulate body temperature well.
These types of fabrics don’t keep you very warm in the winter and they can’t keep you cool in the summer. They make you sweat more and ultimately have to do more laundry - my LEAST favorite thing.
When you’re shopping look for natural fibers. Here’s a list of non-plastic fibers. Most of these fabrics have pros and cons. If you’re interested in a whole blog post about each of the fabrics I can do that, but for the sake of not making this a novel, I’m just going to list them.
I’m sure I’m missing a few, so please let me know in the comments section.
Cotton
Wool
Silk
Hemp
Linen
Rayon
Viscose
Bamboo
Lyocell (Tencel)
Modal
Cupro
4) Take Preventative Measures:
I do not have a 100% plastic-free wardrobe. Especially when it comes to undies and workout gear. Check out this post to learn more about sustainable and ethical work out clothing. I speak a bit about the polyester conundrum when it comes to work out clothing.
In this case, I try to take preventative measures by using something to catch the microfibers. There are several different options like the guppyfriend or a microfiber ball.
q&a:
I recently sourced questions from my Instagram stories on microplastics and I’m going to do my best to answer them and give you some solutions on ways that you can help reduce your contribution to microplastics.
what about shoes made from recycled plastic water bottles?
I definitely don’t have as much of a problem with items that aren’t going to be put through the washing machine over and over again. I think it’s a really innovative use for recycling plastic as many of the shoes we wear are made from virgin plastics.
can you tell just by looking at a fabric if it’s poly or going to cause microplastic pollution?
Not normally, it can be really tricky, so I just to be safe always check the label. Acrylic and fleece jackets are two of the worst offenders so those are the two items I’d avoid at all costs.
what natural fibers do you go for and what are your fav stores to get them from?
If I’m buying secondhand, I don’t particularly care what the fabric is as long as it’s on the list above. If I’m shopping first hand, I opt for tencel (a zero waste fabric!), modal, silk, and ethical wool. I also look for non-toxic dyes. Amour Vert is one of my favorite shops (big surprise, right?) because I feel really confident about whatever I buy there being non-toxic and sustainable.
I will work on a full blog post all about this though.
What should I do with old clothes that I’ve stopped wearing because they aren’t made of natural fibers?
There’s not much you can do with them. They’re not very valuable, and it’s not really possible to turn them into other products at this time. But, that could be changing. A company in Hong Kong just found a way to infinitely recycle polyester so we’ll see!
What about undergarments?
I wrote a whole blog post about ethical and sustainable underwear brands for you to check out.
Swim suit alternatives?
This falls in the same category as workout gear. It’s pretty much unavoidable, but typically we don’t put swimsuits through rough spincycles in our washing machines.
I haven’t found any data on hand washing vs. washing machines, but I believe the crux of the problem lies with the washing machine. While I’m sure microfibers shed from hand washing, I don’t think it would be as extreme as it is with machine washing.
Organic cotton vs. conventional?
If I’m buying first hand, I always try to opt for organic cotton. You can read more in this post: All Your Questions About Eco-Friendly Cotton Answered
I hope this article has provided a little bit of insight about microplastics, microfibers, and ways that you can tackle the problem.
Of course, I can’t let you go without saying you should contact your representative about this issue! Send them an email, fax, or give them a call. This is a super hard subject to tackle. Is it possible that we see polyester, acrylic, or fleece banned from the market place? What about non-biodegradable glitter? Maybe all washers should come with microplastic filters on the machines?
I’m not entirely sure, what solutions could help prevent the problem even more, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to let your representative know that it’s a subject you feel passionate about.
