Sportswear
Numerous studies have shown that sportswear, mainly made out of plastic fibers, contains toxic chemicals known as PFAS. This family of polyfluoroalkyl substances is commonly used in the textile industry. In the field of sportswear, the use of these chemicals to make textiles more efficient and adaptable to weather conditions is also widespread. Although some major brands say they are taking these chemicals out of their production line, many garments still contain substances that are hazardous to health.
PFAS are called “Forever Chemicals” because of their high persistence in the environment.
It is absolutely necessary that a total ban of these toxic products is done as soon as possible. In the meantime, playing sports should not be harmful to your health, so it is important to use natural materials that are free of plastics and toxic substances.
Fast Fashion
The intensity at which clothing is consumed is unprecedented and is now heavily impacting the environment. The use of plastic, mainly polyester, gives life to cheap and low-quality clothing designs creating a lot of problems during each step of textile creation. The extraction of fossil raw materials, the CO2 emissions during production and transportation, the chemicals used for dyeing the clothes, the micro fibers released during laundry, not to mention the lack of recycling infrastructure are all devastating to the environment. How can we talk about a value chain when at every moment of the creation of a new item of clothing the environment and thus human health is affected? The fast fashion industry must slow down and change its business model entirely, or its economic success will cause tremendous damage to the environment. It is also up to consumers to ask themselves: Do I really need this?