You Can’t Totally Avoid Microplastics, But These 7 Things Can Help

A major source of nanoplastics in our waterways and airways is our clothing, according to Kizzy Charles-Guzman, CEO of the Center for Environmental Health, who added that “about 70% of all our clothing is made from plastic materials.”

This includes nylon, polyester, acrylic and synthetic fibers — anything that is not a natural fiber like wool, cotton and linen, she said.

“When these textiles are manufactured, when you wash them in your laundry, when you wear them, when you dry them, they are releasing tiny plastic fibers into the water and into the air,” Charles-Guzman explained.

“So clothing, bedding, any other textiles that are not natural materials, they shed microplastics in fiber form,” she said. “And then they’re just carried off into the environment … either by air or water.”

These microplastics are too small to be filtered in wastewater treatment plants, so they end up in our waterways, she noted.

“The reason this is important is that that’s why you’re seeing [microplastics] in almost everything that we eat and drink,” such as fish and tap water, said Charles-Guzman.

“To limit our exposure … it’s consumer choice. So, selecting natural materials whenever we can — cotton, linen, wool — those are really the best products for reducing plastic microfiber pollution,” she said.

It’s worth noting that polyester blends ― when compared to fabrics like wool ― are often more affordable, making this an impossible choice for many people. (Although thrifting can be a good option, Charles-Guzman noted.)

Rethink your plastic food storage containers.