MICROPLASTICS IN SWIMWEAR

 

Microplastics are lurking. I’ve always had this weird theory that plastic was causing my endometriosis.  Both wearing it on my private parts, drinking from plastic cups, & reluctantly using Invisalign. Then handmaid’s tale came out... Then this science came out… Microplastics have moved into every crevice on Earth.. From glaciers in the most remote parts of the earth, now to the placentas of unborn babies - small enough to enter the bloodstream. Cue creepy, futuristic, bionic babies sci-fi movie. We eat micro plastics everyday. One estimate suggests 5 grams per week. But that could be multiplied, since we are the top of food chain. Eek! It is increasingly recognized that microplastics can oxidize or stress cells, but new experiments are now finding that micro plastics could actually enter cells, potentially disrupting cellular activity & even stretch cell membranes.  Plastics also contain hazardous compounds that interfere with endocrine (hormonal) systems. (So I’m not wrong?) 35% of microplastics in the ocean come from textiles “Fibers seem to be a particular problem. Compared with spheres, fibers take longer to pass through zooplankton. In a 2017 study,  Zooplankton exposed to microplastic fibers produced half the usual number of larvae and the resulting adults were smaller. The fibers interfered with swimming & resulted in deformations in the organisms’ bodies. Another study found that adult Pacific mole crabs exposed to fibers lived shorter lives.” While the big trend in Swim & Activewear is “sustainable” or “eco-friendly," Fibers like Recycled Nylon (Econyl) or Recycled Polyester (Repreve) STILL SHED MICROPLASTICS.   Though marketed to surfers & ocean-lovers, the sea is the first place these fabrics will wreak havoc. This is also the end of life for this material. It is not recyclable. It will end up in a landfill & take 40-200 years to decompose - continuing to contribute to greenhouse gases for the duration. Our fabric will disappear from earth within 3 years of being in an anaerobic landfill While we’ve known for awhile that washing a load of synthetic fabrics releases millions of microplastics into the water system (eventually the ocean), a new study found that polyester garments release just as many microplastics into the air just by being worn. Yikes! As thin as a hair or even invisible to the eye, these Microplastics fibers can travel for miles before settling down - or can stay right in your home. It’s estimated 1/3 of dust in a home is microplastic fibers from textiles. Microplastics were found in lung tissue 30 years ago & continue to cause textile workers coughing, reduced lung capacity, and hinder the recovery of the lungs. “One thing is clear: the problem will only grow. Almost 400 million tons of plastics are produced each year, a mass projected to more than double by 2050. Even if all plastic production were magically stopped tomorrow, existing plastics in landfills and the environment — a mass estimated at around 5 billion tons — would continue degrading into tiny fragments that are impossible to collect or clean up, constantly raising microplastic levels.”  (I should add, currently only 9% of plastic is being recycled). So Why are we still using plastic?! Supply & Demand, baby. You shop, they make more. Only 20 companies make most of the world’s plastic with ExxonMobil at the top. And the big banks are heavily invested.  Plastic is also created from crude oil, so enter the oil industry. What can we do? While we wait to vote in elections, we vote with our dollar every day. When you make a purchase, consider what goes into the process of making it, how it affects the people making it & the planet, and what message you are send the company.  We need to move away from plastic. Look for biodegradable, organic or recycled natural fibers. But first, trade, shop second-hand, & repurpose where you can! Fashion brands need to take responsibility.  Not just release 1 eco line for marketing purposes or to appease some - while continuing to choose profit over the planet for the majority of their business. (For real though, if a girl on a boat can source, mill, import, print, & manufacture the first ever Biodegradable Polyamide in Ca - big corporations have no excuses.) Don’t be greenwashed. Ask, learn, & participate! SHOP NOW Our Biodegradable Polyamide Fabric is still a man-made polymer, and may not be the end-all solution to this problem, but it’s a step in the right direction.  Our fabric will disappear from the earth within 3 years of being in an anaerobic landfill.  Psychedelic Honey is closing the loop, demonstrating plastic-free, & being the first to invest in the most sustainable fabrics. I hope you’ll help demonstrate demand so we can disrupt the polluting fashion industry! You can shop the Biodegradable Line & Subscribe to my emails at PsychedelicHoney.com  I’ll share more on the sustainability of fabrics & fashion industry practices & how to navigate them!  Spoiler Alert: Innovation in sustainability is now at the core of my business.  But sometimes the best choice is to move backwards. Our Fall Line is all Regenerative Hemp & Organic Cotton:) Sources: https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/2021/03/the-invisible-threat-microplastics-from-your-clothes/ https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/567384-you-eat-microplastics-every-day-heres-what-it https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01143-3 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.9b06892 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468584417300119 https://medium.com/swlh/your-recycled-plastic-yoga-leggings-arent-going-to-save-the-environment-9005a204e122 https://www.minderoo.org/plastic-waste-makers-index/