Can we stop wearing this problem? (Of course!)

Most of us are. Over 50% of European textiles are synthetic. Our clothes, curtains, carpets, and bedsheets are increasingly made of polyester, nylon, elastane and the like.

I spoke at a lively EU Ocean Week 2026 event about the hidden costs of synthetic textiles on our health and environment. With a whale replica behind me and the European Parliament buildings on all sides, it was about speaking up for nature and people. Here are the key takeaways from my speech:

🔴 THE PROBLEM

• Constant shedding: Synthetics release microfibers throughout their lifecycle—into the air when dry and into wastewater during laundering.
• Pervasive pollution: Decades of research have proven these fibers are a dominant class of microplastic pollution at sea, on land, in the air, and throughout the food chain.
• The "Chemical Sauce" in textiles: Microfibers leach toxic additives. Chemicals like PFAS, phthalates, heavy metals, and formaldehyde are worn on our largest organ—the skin—all day.
• Lagging regulation: Carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, and neurotoxicants remain legally permissible additives in EU textiles.
• Ineffective instruments: Current EU instruments such as EU Green Public Procurement, EU Strategy For Sustainable And Circular Textiles, and the EU Ecodesign For Sustainable Products Regulation are still too soft and weak to fundamentally address the synthetic textile problem.

🟢 THE SOLUTIONS

• Support cleaner production: Choose natural fibers for new purchases and wear your existing synthetic garments less. Try the PlasticFreeFuture app as a shopping guide. Because regulating your own textile use is faster than waiting for institutions to do it for you.
• Prioritize source control: Research consistently shows that cleaner production outperforms "end-of-pipe" measures in costs, feasibility, and damage prevention.
• Leverage public procurement: Institutions can shift from buying synthetic uniforms, workwear and interior textiles to natural alternatives and stimulate market demand for superior, healthy textiles. Public tenders for textiles are estimated at €10 billion annually - a massive volume!
• Healthy textile advocacy: Find like-minded groups, flaunt your plastic-free fashion, and support the NGOs advocating for the healthy textiles you want to wear.

⚖️ A CLOSING QUESTION: Are bodies happier and healthier when wearing plastic suits or natural fiber ones?

© 2026 Heather Leslie Projects