A new investigation reveals that recycled polyester may shed significantly more microplastics than virgin polyester, raising urgent questions about fashion’s sustainability claims and what consumers should know before choosing synthetic fabrics.
Imagine tossing a favorite workout top into the wash, expecting it to emerge a little fresher, a little less lived-in. What most shoppers do not see is the invisible fallout spinning off in that same cycle—hundreds of thousands of microscopic fibers shedding from synthetic fabrics before pouring into waterways, soil, and eventually, bodies. A new investigation suggests that the fashion industry’s go-to sustainability fix may be worsening that problem rather than solving it.
A challenge to fashion’s sustainability claims
New research published by the Changing Markets Foundation found that garments made from recycled polyester shed significantly more microplastics during laundering than clothes made from virgin polyester, challenging one of the industry’s most widely marketed environmental claims. The laboratory study, conducted by the Microplastic Research Group at Cukurova University in Turkey, reports that recycled polyester released an average of 55 percent more microplastic particles during washing. It also showed those particles were almost 20 percent smaller, meaning they travel farther, linger longer, and penetrate more deeply into living systems. According to the study, a single load of laundry can generate as many as 900,000 microplastic fibers.
The researchers tested clothing from Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein, and Zara, focusing on T-shirts, dresses, tops, and shorts made from both virgin and recycled polyester where available. Nike’s polyester clothing emerged as the highest shedding across the board. The brand’s recycled polyester released over 30,000 fibers per gram of sample clothing on average, nearly four times H&M’s average and more than seven times Zara’s.
Shein’s garments also raised questions, as its recycled polyester shed microplastics at roughly the same rate as its virgin polyester pieces. The investigation notes that polyester “fraud” is reportedly “rife” in supply chains, fueling suspicion that some items labeled recycled polyester may not be recycled at all.
Urska Trunk, Senior Campaign Manager at Changing Markets Foundation, said in a statement that fashion has been selling recycled polyester as a green solution, “yet our findings show it is deepening the microplastic pollution problem. It exposes recycled polyester for what it is: a sustainability fig leaf covering fashion’s deepening dependence on synthetic materials. Smarter design tweaks and end-of-pipe fixes will only scratch the surface. Real solutions mean slowing and phasing out synthetic fibre production and stopping the diversion of plastic bottles into disposable clothing.”
What this means for consumers and the microplastics crisis
For consumers who have been told that recycled polyester is the responsible choice, the findings raise uncomfortable questions about what “sustainable” really means. With major brands like Adidas, H&M, Puma, and Patagonia replacing nearly all virgin polyester with recycled alternatives, in the name of environmental benefits, it throws an ocean-sized plastic wrench into these efforts. A Changing Markets survey noted that 116 brands have committed to using up to 100 percent recycled polyester by 2025 as part of their climate and circularity targets.
Yet even before these new results, many environmental scientists were skeptical. Studies have shown that polyester recycling systems capture only a fraction of the material flowing into the market. According to Changing Markets, only around two percent of recycled polyester comes from textile-to-textile systems; the vast majority is made from waste plastic bottles that could otherwise be reused multiple times in the beverage sector.
At the same time, virgin polyester production continues to rise, diluting any gains from recycled content commitments. The OECD reports that global plastic production reached 475 megatonnes in 2022 and is projected to more than double by 2060, driven heavily by synthetic textiles.
The ecological and human health implications are also pressing. Research published in Science Advances, the UN Environment Programme, and multiple toxicology studies show that microplastics now appear in soil, oceans, the atmosphere, and bodies of animals and humans. Scientists have detected microplastics in human blood, lung tissue, placentas, and digestive organs, linking exposure to inflammation, hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease, and increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Smaller fibers — like those shed from recycled polyester in this new analysis — are believed to pose the greatest risk because they travel farther and embed more deeply in tissues.
Consumers often assume sustainable fashion is a matter of swapping one fabric for another. The findings suggest the solution may be less about choosing differently and more about choosing less. As the report underscores, the low cost of synthetic fabrics has fueled overproduction and overconsumption, leaving recycling claims unable to compensate for the sheer volume of material entering the world.
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