Some of the world’s biggest fashion giants have been called out for “green-washing” following an investigation into microplastic pollution.
In recent years, recycled polyester has radically changed the fashion industry – often touted as the holy grail material for eco-conscious shoppers.
Household names like H&M, Adidas, Puma and Patagonia have already switched almost all of their polyester use from virgin to recycled in the name of sustainability – with many other companies pledging a full transition by 2030.
However, research from the Changing Markets Foundation, carried out by the Microplastic Research Group at Çukurova University in Türkiye, argues the big green plan has massively backfired.
How recycled polyester worsens microplastic pollution
Industry figures show that 98 per cent of recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles, not textile waste.
Many brands market this as ‘circularity’. For example, Nike claims that using recycled polyester made from plastic bottles helps “reduce waste” by diverting around one billion bottles each year from landfills and waterways.
Adidas echoes the sentiment, stating that using recycled plastic in its products is a vital part of its efforts to “avoid plastic waste and stop the pollution of the world’s oceans.”
However, the new study found that recycled polyester actually creates 55 per cent more microplastic pollution particles on average during washing than virgin polyester.
These particles were also found to be almost 20 per cent smaller, meaning they’re more able to spread into the environment and cause harm.
Which fashion companies are to blame?
The study focused on a small number of garments from five major brands: Adidas, H&M, Nike,Sheinand Zara. This included T-shirts, tops, dresses and shorts.
Researchers found Nike’s polyester clothing was the most polluting, for both virgin and recycled fabric. The brand’s recycled polyester shed more than 30,000 fibres per gram of sample clothing on average, nearly four times H&M’s average and over seven times Zara’s average.
Recycled polyester from Shein was also found to shed around the same amount of microplastics as its virgin polyester clothing. Researchers suspected some of the sampled clothing may have been incorrectly labelled as recycled.
The fast-fashion giant has already been hit with hefty fines reaching €40 million over fake discounts and misleading environmental claims.
A ‘sustainability fig leaf’
“Fashion has been selling recycled polyester as a green solution, yet our findings show it is deepening themicroplastic pollutionproblem,” says Urska Trunk of Changing Markets Foundation.
“It exposes recycled polyester for what it is: a sustainability fig leaf covering fashion’s deepening dependence on synthetic materials.”
Trunk argues that “smarter design tweaks” will do little to solve the crisis, adding that slowing and phasing out synthetic fibre production and stopping plastic bottles from being turned into “disposable” clothing is now necessary.
H&M and Adidas respond to ‘greenwashing’ accusations
Euronews Green contacted all five companies named in the report following its release**.** H&M told us it welcomes studies that help push the fashion industry forward, stating that it shares the environmental concern around fibre fragments.
A company spokesperson says H&M Group is already addressing this challenge by focusing on research into production processes that reduce fibre fragments shedding as well as fabric and yarns that have minimal shedding. It also aims to improve reuse and recycling technologies, while supporting the development of laundry filters.
“Polyester currently accounts for approximately 22 per cent of our total material basket, while cotton remains the material we use the most,” the spokesperson adds. “Our industry still needs synthetic materials for ensuring the functionality of our products.”
H&M added that every fibre impacts the environment, and believes investing in “solutions and innovations” rather than halting the use of certain materials altogether.
Adidas defended its use of recycled polyester, arguing it has a significantly lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester.
“The majority of the available scientific studies show no difference between recycled and new fibres in terms of microfibres release,” a spokesperson told Euronews Green.
“Fibre fragmentation is influenced by a variety of factors such as yarn specification, dyeing technology, coating and material construction. Fibre type is only one of these factors.”
Zara, Shein, and Nike did not immediately respond to the request for comment.