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Writer's pictureAOG Team

How'd Clothes Affect Ocean?



Did you know that 250 kg. (550 lbs) of Plastic goes down the ocean “every second”?


Pollution is the major problem all over the world. There are many industries that contribute to this pollution, and they are not only from our plastic waste, but also our clothing! Actually, it is one of the biggest reasons for this growing pollution.

According to reports, the fashion industry holds the second place for being the most polluting industry in the world. Research says, 20% of global waste is generated from the fashion industry.


Synthetic-Fibre Clothes, such as, Polyester, Nylon, Spandex, Rayon, etc. have polluted the water by releasing tiny little pieces of its thread during our laundry, called “Microplastic”. It then go inside sea lives, and return to us on our seafood meals.

These kinds of clothes are made from the same substance as Plastic, that is initially made from petroleum and chemicals, and they are what we wear, more or less.

In fact, the consumption of Polyester clothes alone has increased 157% in the past decade.



Every laundry, Synthetic Fibres get washed off, releasing “Microplastic” to the waterways, rivers, seas, and eventually oceans. From the gigantic Marine Debris to beaches, we have found uncountable microplastic. It might be tiny little pieces, but from about 7 billion of Today's world population, it seems not to be a little problem anymore.



Microplastic then enters the food chain of sea lives, up to the top predators even sharks, and down to algae and corals.

When we have seafood meals, it returns to us, not just Microplastic, but with chemicals inside it, too.

Worse, the recent scientific research shows that Microplastic can get airborne, found even in the water on rural mountains. This means, it can actually go anywhere.

We have to change now before it is too late.



We can still change now. Use Natural- Fibre clothes as much as possible, for example, 100% Cotton, or even better with Organic Cotton, Linen, Silk, or local handmade fabrics.


However, natural fibres might not apply for sportswear and water sports.

If you need one, consider choosing chemical-safe** “Regenerated” or “Bio-plastic” that are Upcycling Fibres, such as, Bamboo, Flax, Hemp, Lyocell, Modal, or Tencel.


**There are a lot of Regenerated and Bio-plastic Clothes, but some of them still contain hidden chemicals which are neither good for your health nor the environment. Wisely choose ones with these signs, certificates, and symbols:

Because we do believe that

One Small Change

-can make-

One Big Difference



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