Submitted by Sarah Neal, Haddam Sustainability Committee
(June 26, 2026) — Summer is upon us, and that means warm, even hot days. I have been thinking more about the fabric content of the clothes I wear. On a recent trip to a warm climate, I experienced firsthand that clothing made from synthetic fabrics doesn’t “breathe” as well as that made from natural fabrics. I felt a noticeable difference in comfort when I wore the cotton or linen clothing compared to when I wore the items made of polyester or nylon, fabrics derived from petroleum chemicals.
Another issue with synthetic fabrics such as polyester, nylon, and spandex, is that as you wear them and wash them, they break down and shed microplastics. Few of us have washing machine filters (which are made of plastic!) to “catch” most of the microfibers, and such a filter is not a perfect solution. Some microplastics and nanoplastics (tiny particles) can still get into the water supply and travel to larger bodies of water. As you wear clothing that sheds microplastics, you can breathe in the particles. Microplastics from all kinds of plastic exposure are both a human and environmental concern, as they pollute our bodies through the clothes we wear but also through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. According to Stanford University, studies in animals and human cells are now suggesting a link between microplastics and cancer, heart attacks, and reproductive issues.
Admittedly there are some occasions where synthetic fibers are a convenient choice. Lots of sports clothing is made from them. Winter jackets and raincoats are often made from them. So what to do?
Avoid frequent washing of synthetic fabrics. The Plastic Pollution Coalition has this advice: When buying new clothes, look for natural fabrics – organic cotton, linen, wool, hemp, or bamboo. Try not to shop fast fashion, as that clothing is often made from synthetic fibers. Finally, “buy less, buy better, buy secondhand or swap when you can, and care for what you have longer.”
