Polyester Pollution: Why Fashion’s Plastic Problem Won’t Go Away

There’s a quiet poison in our wardrobes, a fibre so ubiquitous that it goes largely unnoticed, yet its impact is anything but minor. It’s called polyester, and though it feels like fabric, polyester is plastic. And in the surge of fast fashion, it’s become the most widespread plastic of all; woven into our clothes, our water, and increasingly, our bodies.

The Invisible Health And Environmental Polluter
If fashion were a language, polyester would be its most fluent speaker. Used in over 60% of garments, this petroleum-based fibre masquerades as soft and durable, but it’s built to outlive us, and it does. Unlike natural materials that return to the Earth with grace, polyester persists in landfills for centuries, shedding microplastics with every wash.

Each time we turn the dial on a load of laundry, tiny plastic fibers, sometimes over 700,000 per wash, are released into waterways. These microfibers infiltrate oceans and aliment marine life and, shockingly, begin to circulate within us. Studies confirm their presence in human blood, lungs, even in the brain. This isn’t metaphor; this is real-time contamination, unfiltered by wastewater plants and undeterred by geographic boundaries.

Beyond being a structural pollutant, polyester is an environmental offender. Made from oil, its production is energy-intensive, requiring up to three times more energy than organic cotton. In 2024, virgin polyester alone was responsible for over 706 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions globally, contributing to both climate chaos and resource depletion. And once crafted, polyester seldom stays in circulation. Less than 1% of it is recycled into new garments. Most ends up incinerated or buried, leaching chemical residues into soil, water, and our food systems.

Beyond environmental ruin, polyester infiltrates our health. Factory workers in under-regulated facilities face routine exposure to antimony trioxide, a suspected carcinogen used in polyester production. Their lungs, skin, and industrial ecosystems pay the price. But that price isn't contained to factories. In everyday life, we inhale polyester-derived microfibers that settle deep in lung tissue, potentially sparking chronic inflammation and hormone disruption. Walking behind someone in cheap fast fashion on a windy day? Those fibres are blowing straight into your lungs — we kid you not.  A sweeping review found airborne microplastics linked to digestive, respiratory, and reproductive health issues;ranging from infertility to colon cancer.

Even more alarming, microplastics are now found in the brain, especially within dementia patients, up to 30 times more prevalent than in kidneys or liver. These nano-invaders may cross the blood-brain barrier and spark neurotoxicity too. We don’t have any actual proof of this yet, but why would we want to risk it?!

Why We Can’t Ignore It Any Longer
If the hardcore stats aren’t enough, here’s what really matters: polyester isn’t just polluting the planet, it’s permuting us. It seeps into our bloodstreams, invades lung tissue, and silently disrupts endocrine, immune, and reproductive systems. This should never be called fashion.

At Scarlet Destiny, we believe fashion should affirm life, not erode it. Our mission is to champion beauty that heals, clothes that don’t cost the Earth, and futures that honour both people and planet.

We’re not powerless. We can demand a new narrative, one that prioritises health and honours life. This narrative begins with choices we make everyday:

• Boycott virgin polyester — don’t give it a market.

• Choose natural or truly circular fibres that return to the earth.

• Use microfibre filters on every wash.

• Push brands for full fibre disclosure and transparent supply chains.

• Demand policy reform to limit hazardous synthetics, enforce accurate labelling, and invest in fibre-to-fibre recycling.

• Protect worker health with exposure limits and safer chemistries.

Every vote, purchase, and conversation is a stitch toward a future where clothes honour life instead of eroding it. We don’t need polyester’s future — we deserve better than polyester’s past.

Source: theguardian.com,  thefashionadvocate.com, thesun.co.uk 
Images sourced on canva.com