FAKE FABRIC

The moment you consider polyester just a fabric, it escapes attention as a pollutant. The fact is that polyester is a form of plastic and the second biggest by-product of petrochemicals. Yet only a few countries have regulations to manage the plastic fibre. Time India framed laws to regulate the textile industry and brought it under the extended producer responsibility regime

- ZUMBISH, MINAKSHI SOLANKI and SIDDHARTH GHANSHYAM SINGH

BELIEVE IT or not, most of our clothes today have plastic in them. From the warm, shiny fleece jackets we wear to brave the winter chill to body-hugging workout clothing to stretchy and comfortable lowers, all the apparel is either completely made out of plastic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, or from the blending of natural fibres such as cotton and wool with the synthetic material.

About 60 per cent of material made into clothing is plastic, which includes polyester, acrylic and nylon textiles, says the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The global production of polyester, the most commonly used plastic fibre, has increased by nearly 900 per cent between 1980 and 2014, as per November 2022 report released by US-based non-profit Fibershed. There is a reason the textile industry is so fond of polyester. Despite being tough and durable, it creates new possibilities of fashion. Clothes made out of polyester hold their shape well, are lighter, wrinkle-free and resistant to shrinking and colour fading. But perhaps the most important reason for its popularity is that garments made from synthetic fibres are substantially cheaper than natural fabrics. In April 2019, the cost of polyester yarn in India was ₹105 a kg, while cotton yarn was more than double at ₹213, as per the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Textiles. While on the face of it, clothes made of plastics appear harmless, their infiltration into the textile industry is a cause for concern. These synthetic fabrics have significant environmental impact during production, use and disposal.