Fragment of plastic clothing

Oil Age people increasingly abandoned natural fibres, such as wool and cotton, in favour of plastic textiles, often recycling plastic waste as garments. Early 21st century scientists discovered, however, that washing these clothes (typically after just one day’s wear!) released thousands of plastic microfibres into wastewater, which ultimately flowed into the sea. These microfibres, along with synthetic particles from vehicle tyre dust were discovered to account for up to one-third of all ocean plastic pollution, significantly affecting the health of our seas - and of humans. Ultimately this discovery led to a revolution in the manufacture and use of clothing and vehicles.