Global research shows synthetic clothing can shed microplastic fibres with every wash, and these fibres are then flushed into oceans to contaminate the food chain and the planet. 

The research led by ecologist Mark Browne found clothing fibres to be abundant in habitats worldwide, and the problem is worsening. In his University of California Benign by Design presentation, Browne says ingested and inhaled fibers carry toxic materials and a third of the food we eat is contaminated with this material.

Environmental Science and Technology published the study in 2011 on Accumulation of Microplastic on Shorelines Worldwide: sources and sinks: “Experiments sampling wastewater from domestic washing machines demonstrated that a single garment can produce >1900 fibers per wash. This suggests that a large proportion of microplastic fibers found in the marine environment may be derived from sewage as a consequence of washing of clothes. As the human population grows and people use more synthetic textiles, contamination of habitats and animals by microplastic is likely to increase.”

You can read more about this disturbing issue in a recent Treehugger article by Derek Markham.  Amazing how little we know about the impact of everyday consumer products and actions.

This information affirms the 365-day Sew it Again project, which is about individuals choosing to refashion natural fibre clothing instead of buying new stuff.

Sew 342 of 365 is the final upcycle from our recent Restyle Party. It is a cotton floral dress which Frankie scored as a cast-off from her mum. Frankie liked the fabric but felt she was more likely to wear it if we could transform the shirred round neckline into an off-the-shoulder style. To do so we pinned a seam on each side, front and back, which Frankie then hand-stitched and tested, before we then sewed these seams in place with the sewing machine. Great reuse and restyle Frankie! Hope you wear it lots of times now!