Do you buy clothes made of polyester? I’m sure each of us has, or has had, polyester clothes, which have taken over store shelves, tempting us with their colorful, quick-drying, and often wrinkle-free garments. On top of that, their price is very low. Sounds great, right? But there’s no such thing as a free lunch. What price do we pay for cheap polyester clothes (and expensive ones too, because fashion houses also like to use polyester—check the labels!)? Polyester clothes, furniture, and other products are very dangerous and have a very negative impact on our health. After learning about all the risks, I guarantee that many of you, and maybe even all of you (and I truly hope so), will never reach for polyester products again.
The tragic 13
I prepared this based on a conversation with Justyna Borska, a passionate advocate of a healthy lifestyle, and the author of the Się Śpi brand, discussing the negative impact of polyester on our lives and health. Justyna is working to fight against the ubiquitous polyester, which appears not only in our clothes but also in our furniture, duvets, and pillows, by raising awareness of how our daily, small choices can affect our health, our mitochondria, the environment, and Mother Nature.
Washing and drying polyester clothes releases highly toxic substances that enter the air, sewage systems, and eventually the seas and oceans. We inhale them and also consume them, as fish and seafood are contaminated with microplastics and chemical compounds as a result of our polyester use.
Justyna is building the Się Śpi brand, creating natural pillows filled with grain husks and herbs that are friendly to our health and the planet. Let’s choose what’s healthy. Together for Bees project is proud that Się Śpi brand is one of patrons of bees created a dedicated collections.
Let’s say loudly to polyester: STOP!
How is polyester made?
Synthetic polyester is created through chemical reactions involving carbon, petroleum, air, and water. It consists of purified terephthalic acid (PTA) or its dimethyl ester, dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), and monoethylene glycol (MEG).
Polyester holds a 10% share of the market, ranking in an unfortunate third place in terms of popularity, right after polyethylene (33.5%) and polypropylene (19.50%).
POLYESTER – the tragic 13!
The impact of polyester on our life and health:
1. Polyester does not allow air to pass through.
2. Polyester blocks the release of sweat, thereby causing the accumulation of toxins inside the glands and organs, which leads to various abnormalities and increases the risk of many diseases.
3. Drying polyester clothing in dryers causes chemicals to spread throughout the home and surroundings. The chemicals enter the air and are absorbed through the skin.
4. Polyester clothing disrupts the process of hydration of the surface layer of the epidermis.
5. Pillows and duvets filled with polyester fibers cause the inhalation of toxic formaldehyde.
6. Formaldehyde, as a strong irritant, causes symptoms of asthma and shortness of breath.
7. In people with atopic dermatitis, dry and sensitive skin, it causes allergies to clothing, which may be accompanied by itching and rashes.
8. Polyester fibers create better conditions for bacterial growth.
9. Polyester has a very negative impact on the immune system, especially in children.
10. Polyester affects reproduction.
11. Polyester causes changes in the electromyographic parameters of muscles, resulting in the desynchronization of motor units. This disorder manifests as increased fatigue.
12. Polyester disrupts the process of hydration of the surface layer of the epidermis, causing dryness of the skin and symptoms of dry skin.
13. Polyester negatively affects the circulatory system and blood properties.
1 Yao L.: (2009) Effects of clothing on skin physiology.
2 According to the EU classification, formaldehyde is a Class 3 carcinogen.
3 Takashima M, Shirai F., Sageshima M., Ikeda N., Okamoto Y., Dohi Y. (2004): Distinctive bacteria-binding property of cloth materials.
4 Article from The Environmental Illness Resource, Dr. Theresa Warner.
5 A study conducted in 1993 showed that polyester underwear can reduce sperm count in men and cause erectile dysfunction and hormonal issues.
Finally, a few words about recycled polyester. The production of polyester from recycling is more energy-intensive than producing natural fibers from scratch. During chemical recycling, materials are chemically dissolved in their precursor chemicals. Polyester, for example, is broken down into DMT (dimethyl terephthalate) and EG (ethylene glycol). These chemicals are then purified and used to create new polyester fibers. But the reality is that this process is difficult and costly.
Although recycled polyester uses less energy than producing virgin polyester, recycled polyester still consumes significantly more energy than natural fibers.
Polyesters take more than 2 life cycles to biodegrade. Although synthetic materials like polyester will eventually break down, the biodegradation process can take up to 200 years.
Are you tempted to go through your closet? When buying new, tempting clothes, will you look at the label to make sure what you are buying? I hope this information helps raise awareness of how much harm we are doing to ourselves by choosing harmful products. How many poor-quality items are pushed on us, which cause allergies and pollute the environment. In reality, not only do the producers of polyester clothing collections and furniture make money off us, but so do pharmacists, who later fill us with more chemicals to merely mask the symptoms of allergic reactions, which ultimately lead to very dangerous diseases. The choice is ours. Even though we are influenced and manipulated by advertisements, the choice is always ours. Let’s choose what is good.