The idea that there could be a link between the pants we wash and wear and the fish we eat might surprise many of us—but unfortunately, such a connection exists. What kind of connection, you ask? In this article, we explain why clothing made from recycled materials, which we often assume to be eco-friendly, may not be as innocent as it seems.
From Garments to Food: The Pants You Wear Become the Fish You Eat
In our study, we compared fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles and other post-consumer plastics with fabrics made from virgin plastic. When evaluating the amount of microplastics released during washing, we found that fabrics made from recycled materials released 2.5 times more microplastics. Labeling a product as “eco-friendly” based solely on its production process is a form of perception management. We call this misleading the public. Recently, almost all brands have been launching such collections. They market their products as “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” because they are trying to claim a share in this market. They invest heavily in advertising. For example, while a pair of pants made from recycled plastic sells for 200 Euro, the same pants made from virgin plastic sell for 50 Euro. The reason is simple: people are willing to pay more to be environmentally conscious. But does being eco-friendly really have to mean paying more? Companies use this perception to increase their profit margins, investing in marketing and advertising in this area. However, the resulting products are often of very low quality. When plastic is recycled, the polymer chains shorten, the material loses durability, microcracks form, and as a result, the fabric releases significantly more microfibers during washing. These released microplastics are flushed out with the washing machine water, enter the sewage system, and reach wastewater treatment plants. But even at treatment facilities, only part of the microplastics are filtered out; about 30% remain in treated water. In areas without wastewater treatment plants, all these plastics flow directly into seas and oceans. Microplastics accumulate in the bodies of fish and return to us through the seafood we eat—not as clothing this time, but as food. In other words, wearing clothing made from recycled materials eventually means eating those plastics.
How Do Microplastics Enter the Food Chain?
Textile products made from recycled plastic exhibit a complex profile in terms of microplastic emission, material quality, the efficiency of treatment processes, and consumer perception. Various studies show that recycled polyester fabrics release 30–50% more microplastic fibers during washing compared to virgin polyester fabrics under the same conditions. The “eco-friendly” label emphasized during production has, in many companies, turned into greenwashing, raising prices while lowering quality. Although wastewater treatment plants remove 70–82% of microplastics, the remaining 18–30% is discharged into aquatic ecosystems and enters the human food chain through bioaccumulation.
Yarns obtained by recycling PET bottles are often marketed as an “eco-friendly” alternative, but it has been found that fabrics made from recycled plastic release 2.5 times more microplastics during washing than those made from virgin plastic. This finding shows how misleading it can be to assign an “eco-friendly” label based on narrow parameters such as carbon footprint or energy use in production. The real environmental performance of a product cannot be understood without considering its full life cycle (use, maintenance, disposal), and this gap allows brands to manipulate public perception through green marketing strategies.
1. The Effect of the Recycling Process on Polymer Structure
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Mechanical Degradation: Mechanical processes such as shredding, melting, and extrusion cause polyester polymer chains to shorten.
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Reduced Mechanical Strength: As chain length decreases, tensile strength diminishes, weakening the fabric’s resistance to wear and tear.
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Microcrack Formation: Shortened chains lead to surface microcracks, from which microfibers smaller than 5 µm detach during washing and enter the water.
2. Environmental Spread of Microplastics
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Limits of Wastewater Treatment: Even advanced treatment plants using reverse osmosis or membrane filtration can only retain 70–80% of microplastics.
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The Journey of the Remaining 20–30%: Microplastics that pass through treatment plants enter aquatic ecosystems, accumulating in fish, shellfish, and plankton.
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Bioaccumulation and Trophic Transfer: These particles, concentrated in aquatic organisms, are passed up the food chain and eventually reach humans via the fish we eat.
3. Economic Paradox and Product Quality
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Premium Pricing: A pair of pants can be sold for four times the price of its virgin polyester counterpart (200 Euro vs. 50 Euro), taking advantage of the consumer’s willingness to “go green.”
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Low Thermal Stability and Abrasion Resistance: Shortened polymer chains reduce resistance to heat and friction, shortening product lifespan and increasing the need for replacements—deepening the consumption-based sustainability paradox.
4. Systemic Issues and Solution Proposals
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Mandatory Life Cycle Analysis (LCA): Product certification should include not only production but also the release of microfibers over the product’s lifetime.
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Advanced Recycling Methods:
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Chemical Recycling (Depolymerization): Repairs polymer chains, preserving original structure.
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Biodegradable Synthetic Fibers: Developing materials that degrade in nature can prevent microplastic pollution.
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Regulation and Standards:
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International frameworks like the EU 2030 Textile Strategy and OECD Microplastic Guidelines should set limits for microplastic release.
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More frequent audits should be conducted to regularly measure the actual environmental performance of “eco-labeled” products.
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Conclusion:
In the textile industry, “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” labels often serve profit maximization by exploiting eco-anxiety. True environmental protection is not just about using recycled materials, but about building systems that drastically reduce plastic consumption. The real solution lies not in making individual products “greener,” but in transitioning to a fully circular economy.
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