Clothes-in-your-Closet-Microplastics-Everywhere-Else Namarie
on October 21, 2025

Clothes in your Closet, Microplastics Everywhere Else

How Clothes Shed and Where It All Goes

 Every wash, every wear — your synthetic clothes shed microplastics. These tiny fragments are ending up in our bodies, oceans, and even the air we breathe.


When you think about pollution, you probably picture plastic bottles or bags. However, some of the most insidious plastics are invisible micro and nano-plastics. In 2017, scientists estimated that 35% of primary microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles,(1) which are most prominently polyester and nylon. The problem doesn’t stay in the ocean; it’s in the air, our homes, and even our bloodstreams and gets there through various routes.

How Clothes Shed Microplastics

  • Everyday Wear: Simply moving in synthetic fabrics releases fibers into the air and the friction with your body and other clothing facilitates more fiber release into the water of your next laundry cycle.(2)(3)
  • Laundry Cycles: A single wash of polyester clothing can release up to 700,000 fibers into wastewater.(4)(5)
  • No Escape Indoors: Indoor dust samples reveal high levels of microfibers from carpets and clothing as well as outside sources like nearby roads, meaning we are constantly breathing them in.(6)

Where Do These Fibers End Up?

  • Oceans & Rivers, Fruits, Vegetables, Meat: Microfibers have been found in marine organisms, including seafood we eat.
  • Human Lungs & Blood: Recent studies detected microplastics in human lung tissue(7) & bloodstreams.(8) 
  • Reproductive Systems: Alarming evidence shows microplastics in human placenta and reproductive fluids, spurring concern about fertility, early stage fetal development, and long-term health.(9)

Natural Alternatives to Synthetic Shedding

  • Cotton, Hemp, Linen, and Wool: Natural fibers biodegrade instead of persisting in ecosystems.
  • Hemp in Particular: Hemp fibers are strong, antimicrobial, and shed less lint compared to polyester -- and what they shed returns harmlessly to nature.
  • Namarie’s Commitment: By focusing on hemp-based fabrics, we’re proving that performance apparel can be accomplished sustainably and I doesn’t require putting one’s health at risk. Combined with our mission regenerate soil and rebuild tropical rainforests to restore natural habitats and the massive natural systems that not only pull CO2 out of the atmosphere but also impact rain availability and regional weather patterns.

Microplastics may be small, but their impact is massive. Every synthetic garment contributes to a growing problem for both planetary and human health. By choosing natural fibers like hemp and cotton, we can reduce microfiber pollution in our own bodies and the planet and turn clothing into a solution instead of a source of harm.

Explore Namarie’s hemp-based collection and learn how your clothing choices can help reduce your exposure and restore ecosystems at Namarie.com.

 

References

  1. Boucher, J., & Friot, D. (2017). Primary Microplastics in the Oceans: A Global Evaluation of Sources. IUCN. 2017-002-En.pdf
  2. Microfiber Release to Water, Via Laundering, and to Air, via Everyday Use: A Comparison between Polyester Clothing with Differing Textile Parameters | Environmental Science & Technology
  3. A review on microplastic emission from textile materials and its reduction techniques, Polymer Degradation and Stability, Volume 199, 2022, 109901, ISSN 0141-3910, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.109901. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141391022000878
  4. Microfibers Released into the Air from a Household Tumble Dryer, Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2022, https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:245922103
  5. Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 112, Issues 1–2, 2016, Pages 39-45, ISSN 0025-326X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.025. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X16307639
  6. A first overview of textile fibers, including microplastics, in indoor and outdoor environments, Environmental Pollution, Volume 221, 2017, Pages 453-458, ISSN 0269-7491, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.013. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749116312325



This article was written by Dr. Mansour AbdulBaki.

Mansour is the Chief Science Officer and a Founding Partner at Namarie. He earned his PhD from the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department at the University of Houston. In the textile industry, he led R&D and commercialization of patented nylon and polyester fiber technologies used in performance flooring and consumer applications where his main focus was always improving product performance and compatibility with human and environmental health. His work resulted in the ability of carpet manufacturers to produce stain and soil resistant products without the need for fluorochemical (PFAS) treatments as well as other consumer-focused innovations. At Namarie, he now applies his expertise to rethink performance textiles, innovate in manufacturing processes, and lead the development of our Sylvendel fabric.