There Are More Plastics In Our Clothes Than Ever Before – And It Needs To Change
- Words by Peppermint
This Plastic Free July, you might need to consider more than your coffee cup and take a look inside your wardrobe. With plastic textiles used in everything from ultra-fast fashion garments to designer clothing, RMIT expert Dr Tamzin Rollason from the School of Fashion and Textiles explains the role of plastics like polyester in fashion and textiles, what consumers should know, and how we can address this large-scale issue.
words DR TAMZIN ROLLASON photo KARINA TESS / UNSPLASH
Plastic textiles are cheaper compared to many natural fibres. They offer performance qualities like durability, stretchiness and water resistance, and can also mimic the wear and drape of luxury textiles like silk. Added to this, there is not enough land to grow enough cotton to meet current clothing demands – especially when competing with land for food production.
It’s not surprising that plastic use in fashion and textiles has become so widespread, with an estimated 62% of textiles sold in Australia made from synthetics. Plastic textiles are made from non-renewable fossil fuels and they often cannot be recycled into new textiles or broken down. When plastics are blended with natural fibres (like you might find in a polyester/wool jumper), they are difficult to reprocess.
While we don’t yet know the lifespan of plastic from clothing in landfill, it is likely to be thousands of years. Add to that, some contain ‘forever chemicals’ which pose major risks to human health and the environment over time. Microplastics in synthetic textiles contribute to environmental pollution through microfibre shedding, via washing machine liquid waste.
Consumers may be surprised to know that plastics in textiles are common even in clothing with a higher price tag. So, while purposeful shopping of clothing with natural fibres (like cotton, wool and silk) is part of the solution, it’s not simply a matter of what you buy – but how much. The demand for clothing is astronomical. Over 1.4 billion units of new clothing come onto the Australian market each year, with Australians buying on average 56 new items per year and the rest going to landfill. We also know that around 40% of people’s clothing have not been worn for a year or more.
Add to this, 30 to 40% of garments produced are not sold and end up as ‘dead stock’ that must be disposed of, and we’ve seen unethical returns practices in the industry – such as Shein disposing of returns to avoid the logistical hassle and expense of reselling garments. We simply do not need so many clothes.
Meanwhile, fashion and textile producers need to consider the design of products across their entire lifecycle – beyond sale, and consider how it will be used and what becomes of a garment when it is no longer worn. The problem goes beyond the plastic itself, to how it is used. While some plastic textiles may be appropriate – such as a durable, water-resistant hiking jacket that is worn for decades – items intended for short-term use, like trend pieces, should use biodegradable textiles. We need to stop making fashion from plastics that is designed to end up in landfill after a few short wears.
If we want to have a sustainable fashion and textile industry, using and disposing of clothing in a way that is friendly to the environment and ourselves, overhauling the use of plastics must be one of the first things to change.
Dr Tamzin Rollason is an expert in sustainable consumption of fashion AT RMIT. Her research focuses on the use phase of clothing and textiles with a focus on how fashion is sustainable in everyday life.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
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8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
