• It takes between 20 to 200 years for polyester to break down, unlike natural textiles like silk, cotton, and wool that take only 1 year to break down.
• A single polyester garment can shed >1900 microplastic fibers per wash, which enter the water system and ultimately our oceans. Fish consume those microplastics and we consume that fish.
• A recent study in California found that 1 out of 4 fish sold in a fish market contain harmful microplastics.
• Polyester fabrics are treated with formaldehyde, PFAOs and PFCs
• Polyester chemicals can leech through your skin and disrupt your endocrine and reproductive systems and even cause cancer.
• Polyester is energy intensive to produce. It requires 8x more than linen.
• 90% of dye houses and textile factories release their waste directly into local fresh water supplies in developing countries.
• Recycled polyester (and plastic water bottles) is just as toxic to the environment and our health.

Yes, I said it! Bamboo is a toxic fabric you should avoid. While bamboo itself is a sustainable and quickly renewable resource, the process of turning it into fabric like rayon or viscose often involves toxic chemicals, making the final product not necessarily eco-friendly or safe. This processing can lead to air and water pollution, including the release of chemicals like sulfur, nitrous oxides, and chlorine compounds. 

Carbon Disulfide is highly toxic and has been linked to severe health issues, including damage to the lungs and nervous system. Sodium Hydroxide and Sulfuric Acid are highly corrosive and can irritate or even burn the skin and lungs. As a result, working conditions in bamboo viscose factories are very dangerous, and excess chemicals from the production process often leak into the environment, polluting the air and water. 

See “Bamboo” above. To produce rayon, highly toxic solvents are applied to wood pulp to break it down into purified cellulose. The hazardous chemicals required — like carbon disulfide — pose serious health risks for factory workers, including potential damage to reproductive and nervous systems. And because of the large quantities of necessary chemicals, residual toxins are emitted into the environment, polluting air and water. The entire process is also water- and energy-intensive, further depleting the Earth’s already limited resources.

Potential toxic additives to nylon textiles include azo dyes, dyes with Chromium, Aluminum additives, Antimony, nanoparticles, ethoxylated chemicals (which can be contaminated with 1,4 dioxane), bisphenols, halogenated antimicrobials, and potential treatments like PFAS and flame retardants. 

Nylon manufacturing creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 310 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It’s is created from petro chemicals and create microplastic pollution.

Acrylic fabrics are made of acrylonitrile, which is a carcinogen and a mutagen. Exposure to this substance can cause different problems with your health. Among them are headache, nausea, dizziness, difficulty breathing, limb weakness, and many more. By wearing acrylic fabrics, you run the risk of absorbing some of the acrylonitrile into your skin.

Also, the manufacturing of acrylic is a huge cause of environment pollution.

Like other synthetic fabrics, these are made from harmful chemical substances like polyurethane, that is also considered to be a carcinogen. Repeated exposure to polyurethane can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, brain, and bone marrow. Some chemicals found in spandex, like BPA and PFAS, are known as endocrine disruptors, meaning they can interfere with the body’s hormone system. Prolonged contact with these fabrics can also cause skin irritations like dermatitis. Research suggests that sweat can help chemical additives leach out from synthetic fibers, making them available for absorption through the skin. 

So maybe that is enough ranting about the toxic clothing industry. Let’s talk about what would happen if everyone bought just one used item instead of new this year. We would save:

• 5.7 billion pounds of co2 emissions – equivalent to half a million cars taken off the road for a year.
• 11 billion kwh of energy – that’s the amount of energy it would take to light up the Eiffel tower for 141 years!
• 25 billion gallons of water – you know those Bellagio fountains in Vegas? That would fill 1,140 of them.
• 449 million pounds of waste – the weight of 1 million polar bears!

Buying used is easy at thrift stores and consignment stores. But sometimes shopping at thrift stores can feel a little dirty. And consignment stores may be too far away, too expensive, or not your style.

My favorite online second-hand store is thredup (use this link to get 45% off and free shipping). Their website is super easy to navigate, and their phone app is even better! They have over 2 million items to choose from for women and kids with over 40,000 new items every day. Plus, it is so easy to sell your old stuff! Pack it all in a box and send it to the company for free! If your item is too worn for wear, it gets donated or recycled. Items that sell put a credit in your account!

Ebay is also a great outlet to find used items for sometimes half the cost!

• 100% organic cotton – Organic cotton farming avoids synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, protecting soil, water, and air quality. 
• Wool – Sheep can be shorn annually without harming them, making wool a sustainable and renewable resource. It’s biodegradable, warm, and hypoallergenic. 
• Hemp – Hemp clothing offers numerous benefits, including durability, breathability, and sustainability, making it a great choice for eco-conscious consumers who value comfort and longevity. Hemp plants absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than most other plants, making them a carbon-negative material. 

If you must buy new, search for eco-friendly, sustainable stores online. My favorites include:

• Fair Indigo – fair trade and 100% organic cotton. Coupon code THEYINLIFE
• Pact – 100% organic cotton
• Rawganique – 100% organic cotton, linen, and hemp
• Woolly – Merino wool, sustainably and responsibly harvested
• Asatre – Mostly hemp based, eco-friendly clothing
• Namarie – Sylvendel® fabric: 78% hemp and 22% bio-based elastane (made from corn)

Buy green and high-quality

You get what you pay for. Save the environment and yourself some money by buying something that will last.

Forgo toxic detergent and fabric softener. It is so freaking easy to make your own detergent. Once you finish what you have, reuse the container and fill it half full of borax and half full of washing soda (we use arm & hammer). That is literally it. If you must need some fragrance, add some shavings of bar soap into the mix. You’ll save the environment and some money!

For fabric softener, simply pour half a cup of white vinegar into the fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine (or put it in during the rinse cycle if your washer doesn’t have one). To get your clothes smelling extra sweet, add six drops of essential oil like lavender or lemongrass to a scrap of cotton from an old shirt, and toss in the dryer.

Do not dry clean! Conventional dry cleaning requires the use of perchloroethylene, a nasty recognized carcinogen that’s also a suspected neuro-, reproductive-, respiratory-, developmental-, kidney-, skin-, and gastrointestinal-toxicant. You can get away with washing silk and wool items at home. Follow bond’s instructions here. If you need to have an item professionally cleaned, look for wet cleaners and co2 cleaners, which use less-toxic, perc-free methods. Find one at nodryclean.com.

Watch The True Cost on Netflix to learn more about the fast fashion industry.

Watch Stink! On Netflix to learn about the toxic chemicals in your clothing.