To wash or not to wash?

Last year I was made aware that washing your clothes can cause pollution.

I was like, “Seriously. I make my own laundry, use the most purest (well almost purest) of ingredients and I still cause pollution.” To be fair, in this day and age, what’s really pure and natural?

Turns out, as the laundry monster (my washing machine) churns our clothes, knocks out stains and kills germs, it is also unraveling and spewing microplastics from clothes made from synthetic fiber. Draining them with the water, into the sewage, into the water plants and back to the ocean.

Why should I care? Because our beaches, seas and seafood (yes, I see food, kidding) is coated with a thin layer of plastic. You can only imagine how marine life is dealing with this.

So no buying stuff made out of polyester, acrylic, spandex. From now on all cotton, rayon, wool. Done!

No no! But wait there’s more.

Pesticides are most commonly used on cotton. 10% of pesticides in the US are used on cotton farms! Yikes!

What’s a girl to do?

Given that, I will live on these rules:

1. Avoid buying synthetic fabrics at all costs.
2. Buy only organic clothes – which can be expensive and rare. Support organic farming!
3. Buy natural fabrics from thrift shops and consignments stores. Clothes from here have been washes thoroughly many times already and will be less toxic.

And, washing natural fabrics will not add to microplastic pollution.

Challenge made. Challenge accepted. No more clothes! Well, I mean, no more new clothes (unless they’re organic).

More information: http://grist.org/living/2011-12-07-how-microplastics-cause-macro-problems-for-the-ocean/