What you don’t know (yet) about your clothes could by hurting you. Discover how your clothes are poisoning you with microplastics and what you can do about it in this article!
The last time you bought a new sweater or pair of pants, did you consider how much plastic was embedded in their fibers?
Likely not.
Microplastics are everywhere in our environment today, and studies show that one of the most significant sources may be textiles. That’s right, your clothes are made of plastic.
And why should you care?
Because these particles don’t break down—ever. And they’re not only destroying our environment, but they’re contaminating our bodies as well.
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- What microplastics are, and where they come from
- Why millions of tons of microplastics have ended up on our ocean floor
- How microplastics target your most vulnerable biological system
- Which clothing brands offer safer solutions
- The most important daily habit you can start to combat the effects of microplastics
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics, as the name suggests, are tiny pieces of plastic ranging from 5 millimeters (mm) to as small as 1 nanometer (nm). For reference, 5 mm is about the size of a pencil eraser, while one strand of hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide. And then there are even smaller particles, known as nanoplastics, which are smaller than 1 µm (or 1000 nm). These particles are so small they cannot be detected by the human eye.
Why is microplastic contamination such a significant concern in our environment?
These plastic particles are now being found everywhere on our planet—they’re in our food, water, and air, and even contaminating once-pristine landscapes like the Antarctic tundra and tropical coral reefs. In fact, in a 2020 study, researchers estimated that around 9.25 to 15.86 million tons of microplastics are sitting on our ocean floor[1].
But where did all of these tiny particles come from?
Plastic.
Over the last several decades, the use of plastics has continued to skyrocket. And as plastic consumption continues to rise, our environment shoulders the burden.
Why?
Because when plastic breaks down in the environment, it doesn’t get naturally reabsorbed like compost. Instead, these tiny particles are simply the result of plastic materials like food containers, water bottles, tires, wrapping materials, and so on, breaking down over time.
While the environmental impact of microplastics is alarming enough, the concern we’re dealing with today is the amount of microplastics found in human tissue[2].
What Are The Health Concerns Of Microplastics?
Cadaver studies are finding that human and animal tissues are riddled with microplastics, raising serious concerns as to how these compounds could interfere with human health.
While this is still a relatively new area of research, what we know so far is that when microplastics lodge into our tissues, they instigate inflammation and oxidative stress. No surprise there. Of course, inflammation and oxidative damage are at the root of almost all diseases, so microplastics’ impact on our cellular health should not be ignored.
Studies also indicate that microplastics in the body can lead to gut microbiome dysbiosis and neurotoxicity—directly impacting the health of our nervous system from two critical angles[3].
Furthermore, due to how plastic is manufactured, microplastics may also carry other harmful chemicals, including heavy metals and endocrine-disrupting compounds. Animal research shows the harmful effects of microplastics and nanoparticles in almost all systems of the body, including testes, ovaries, thyroid, adrenals, hypothalamus, and more[4].
Your Clothes Are Riddled With Microplastics
Along with plastic packaging, water bottles, and the like, another source of microplastics that you likely did not see coming is your clothing.
Plastic…in clothing? That’s right.
In fact, clothing and other textiles are reported to account for about 35% of the microplastic pollution in our oceans[5].
While it may sound strange, most of the clothing we buy today is manufactured with synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and polyamide, which are bound up into filaments that contain microplastics. When the microfibers from these textiles are released into the environment, they release the microplastics embedded in the material.
One of the primary routes for textile-microplastic release into the environment is when we wash our clothes in the washing machine. The turbulence of the machine loosens the fibers, and they’re then released with the water back into our oceans.
Unfortunately, wastewater treatment plants can only capture so many of these particles, and large amounts end up back in the natural environment[6]. Once in the ocean, microplastics have a few different fates.
#1. They settle on the ocean floor, disturbing the marine environment.
#2. They’re consumed by marine life, making their way through the oceanic food chain to fish that may eventually end up on our plates.
#3. They’re taken into food crops through soil, and end up in our food supply.
#4. They find their way into our drinking water
Now, here’s the good news: not all textiles are created equally. Natural clothing brands have begun to emerge to help combat the issue of microplastics, along with other potential causes for concern related to toxins found in our clothes (of which there are many).
Let’s take a look at a handful of high-quality, non-toxic clothing companies.
Non-Toxic Clothing Companies
In addition to microplastics, clothing can be riddled with all kinds of impurities from toxic dyes to formaldehyde to forever chemicals (PFAS) and more. Below are a handful of companies that manufacture high-quality clothing free of toxins.
#1. Cottonique
Cottonique was created for people who are highly sensitive to chemicals or have chemical allergies and want the most pristine clothing they can find. In addition to being GOTS-Certified and made from 100% organic cotton, Cottonique packages all of its clothing in paper (never plastic).
#2. MATE
All of MATE’s clothing is made with non-toxic, natural, and organic materials. Best of all, they, too, are 100% plastic-free (no plastic labels, no plastic bags).
#3. Pact
Pact offers a range of 100% organic GOTS-certified clothing, including underwear, loungewear, sweaters, and more. They also sell towels and linens.
Industry Of All Nations offers a range of 100% organic cotton clothing, along with undyed clothing, and materials made of the highest-quality fibers around the world.
#5. Quince
Quince offers a line of clothing that’s sustainably made with high-quality materials, including organic cotton, organic linen, cashmere, alpaca, and natural dyes. They also put a heavy focus on transparency and reasonable pricing.
Help Your Body Rid Itself of Microplastics
Buying cleaner clothes is crucial in reducing your microplastic exposure, but as you’ve learned, microplastics are everywhere. Even if you switch out your entire wardrobe, you’ll still likely come into contact with microplastics in your food, water, cosmetics, and so on.
This type of constant toxic assault is precisely why I formulated Daily Detox.
Daily Detox is a blend of herbs and superfoods specifically designed to assist your body’s natural detoxification processes and help rid you of excess buildup. And we’re not just talking about microplastics, but also all the other pesky environmental chemicals sneaking into your body like pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS, and more.
What I love most about Daily Detox is that this formula is gentle enough to take daily. In the world we live in, an annual cleanse is just not enough—we need a way to support our bodies each and every day. And while it’s gentle enough for daily consumption, it packs a powerful detoxification punch so you can rest easy with some peace of mind that you’re doing your part to keep your detox pathways flowing.
Takeaway
When the plastics industry began to boom several decades ago no one had any idea what the environmental impact would be. Sadly, we can’t put the genie back in the bottle, which means the micro and nano plastics that are floating around in our environment are ours to deal with.
So, how do we deal with them?
Just like you would any other toxin, start by mitigating your exposure and then double down on supporting your body’s detoxification processes.
Perhaps the most disturbing issue with microplastics is how many people are unaware of the problem entirely. With this in mind, I urge you to pass the word along to your friends and family. The more people that are on board with reducing microplastics in our environment, the stronger the movement will become.
*These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA. The information herein is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Nor is it meant to replace or act as a substitute for speaking to a medical doctor and/or licensed health practitioner. Any products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. They are not intended to replace any medication, medical test(s), or healing modality prescribed by your medical doctor. Please consult with your doctor before beginning a new supplement regimen.
