A "plastic-free" sweater has made the rounds on the r/Anticonsumption subreddit for all the wrong reasons. That's because it's not actually plastic-free at all.
The green sweater with pink embroidery that reads "Plastic free." However, the user shared photos of the shirt's description, which labels the composition as 20% alpaca, 35% polyamide, and 45% acrylic.
To put it lightly, that's a whole lot of plastic for a sweater that says the opposite. The poster, confused by the contradiction, wrote, "???? Plastic free but 80% polyester."
Plastic in clothing is more common than it may seem. In fact, many brands use polyester, acrylic, and nylon blends in their products. And while plastic-based materials provide flexibility, they also do something else: shed microplastics.
According to 4ocean, microplastics are found worldwide — even in the deepest parts of the ocean and inside the human body.
Unfortunately, we don't yet know the full extent of microplastics' effects on our health. However, research suggests they may lead to respiratory distress, inflammation, and digestive problems, per 4ocean.
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Another issue is that most clothing manufacturers aren't labeling their products as "made from plastic." Instead, the Plastic Pollution Coalition explains that you may see a variety of materials, including polyester, nylon, spandex, acrylic, elastane, and fleece, all of which are plastics.
When people don't know that these materials are plastics, it's easier for companies to use greenwashing to convince consumers that their clothes are better for the planet.
For example, putting "plastic-free" on a sweater, as in this Reddit post, could be considered greenwashing. Per the United Nations, misleading labels can be easily misinterpreted, which is a form of greenwashing.
Many fashion retailers engage in similar tactics — including one that created "upcycle-inspired" clothing. Another company tried to pass off a polyester blend coat as 100% wool.
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Set strict regulations 🚫 Commenters had a lot to say about the sweater, too.
One person, likely referring to microplastics, wrote, "Our bodies certainly aren't."
A response to that comment read, "That was my thought also. Followed by, this is the stupidest thing I've seen all day."
"People don't always realize that synthetic fabric, with the exception of cellulose, is plastic," added another.
Several commenters suggested that the phrase likely referred to plastic surgery rather than to the shirt's materials. However, confusion about which "plastic" the shirt refers to remains, regardless of intent.
"80% plastic, split between acrylic and polyester, but yeah," said another commenter. "This is greenwashing at its finest."
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