The Changing Markets Foundation's report, "Fashion’s Plastic Paralysis: How Brands Resist Change and Fuel Microplastic Pollution," highlights the increasing reliance of fashion brands on synthetic fabrics like polyester, despite their pledges to reduce environmental impact. The fashion industry, which is the third-largest consumer of plastics worldwide, is supporting the fossil fuel industry by using petroleum-based fibers, contributing significantly to microplastic pollution and climate change.
Zara owner Inditex and Calvin Klein's parent company PVH are among the top producers of synthetic clothing, while Shein uses a staggering 82% synthetics in its overall fiber mix. Polyester, which overtook cotton as the most popular textile fiber in 2000, is now dominant due to its affordability and versatility. However, this comes at a heavy environmental cost. Polyester production requires vast amounts of oil, and the shedding of microfibers from these garments pollutes air, water, and soil, eventually entering human lungs and bloodstreams.
Despite promises to reduce synthetics, many brands are falling short. Companies like Inditex, C&A, and Esprit have failed to make significant progress, while only Reformation and Hugo Boss have shown some meaningful effort in phasing out synthetics, though contradictions in their approaches persist. The report also criticizes fashion brands for greenwashing, using tactics similar to Big Oil and Big Tobacco to delay real action and promote misleading "solutions" like synthetic recycling.
The report urges the fashion industry to take immediate action by setting clear, time-bound goals for reducing synthetic fiber use, addressing microfiber pollution, investing in true circularity, and improving transparency in supply chains. The industry's continued dependence on fossil-based fabrics, despite their low cost and performance benefits, poses a major environmental challenge that brands must confront to drive meaningful change.