Synthetic fleece is something of a modern miracle. It keeps us warm and cozy, is easily cleaned and doesn’t even require we harm any animals to make it. Perfect, right? Well, every miracle comes with a price.
It turns out that every time we wash one fleece pullover or jacket, we’re sending about two grams of plastic microfibers out into our environment. Where those fibers end up from there is a bit concerning, because you’re probably eating them.
The University of California and clothing manufacturer Patagonia worked together in 2016 to estimate how much microfiber is entering our environment on a daily basis from our laundry habits. They published their findings in the the journal Environmental Science and Technology in September 2016.
Two grams weigh just a little more than a single paperclip. When we toss an item of synthetic fleece clothing into a washing machine, the agitation of the wash cycle shakes loose about two grams of fibers. Top load washers seem to release up to seven times more fibers than front loaders, for some reason.
Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Care2.
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