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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Cute, classic and cool with a touch of retro: the Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with sleek lines and elegant curves. Bust darts are in play for shaping and spacious pockets to hold all your treasures. Top-stitching detail around the neck and armholes invites creative contrast threads and the keyhole loop closure at the back neck begs for a feature button (or a tie closure!).
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection. Karmme also stocks darling tassels so we popped a hot pink one on as a closure!
The love child of Imby Langenbach, Karmme Apparel (fittingly pronounced ‘calm’), is a haven of boho apparel sewing patterns alongside complementary fabrics steeped in tradition with modern iterations from Jaipur, India. Hand block-printed and digitally printed soft cottons produced by Indian artisans showcase rich colours and designs from Imby’s travels, perfect for showing off me-made masterpieces.
Our dresses were superbly stitched by our sewing manager @Laura_The_Maker, and modelled magnificently by Shannon @Pins_And_Tonic and Serah @SerahSews. And that perfect pink wall was courtesy of the good folk at @ShareTheDignityAustralia, an organisation that aims to bring dignity to women, girls and those who menstruate who are experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Patternmaker: @GarmentaApparel
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
Connection 🫶🏻
Such great ideas from @GrowWithColby:
“A common theme I noticed in 2025:
Everyone is craving more connection.
Use these friend nights to make it happen in 2026.
Send this to the people you want to do these with.”
#Connection #Friends #Community
No bull - these pants are the cat`s (or cow`s) pyjamas...
Jenny from @RhubarbSundays:
And they are done! My @PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintFernPleatedPants made using a gorgeous fabric from @IndyBindyFabrics! I absolutely love this fabric! It’s soft and drapes beautifully. And the best thing about it is that, from a distance, it looks like an abstract print and then you look closer and theres a curious bull looking right at you. 🤣🤣 🐄 🐮
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Missed issue 64 at the newsagent?
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Then there’s ‘Radical Hope Machine 2’: an immersive exhibition at Caloundra’s new Library+ that will fuse textiles, technology and storytelling. Featuring textile artist @Shaye_Hardisty, award-winning author Peter Carnavas and artist Sarah Winter, this series of events explores what hope looks, feels and sounds like to the Sunshine Coast community in response to the question: ‘how to solve the world’s wicked problems?’ We spoke with Shaye about tech vs textiles, magical garments and tiny joys.
Read more at the link in bio!
Photos: @HorizonArtFest
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Style, sass and simplicity: Miss Myrtle is almost here! 💕
Lay your peepers on the new Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress – this sensational sewing pattern is going to be winging its way to subscribers inboxes this Sunday 1st March at 11am, so if you`re not a subscriber already, you know what to do!
We created this pattern with the support of @Karmme_Apparel – and how gorgeous are those fabrics! The love child of Imby Langenbach, Karmme Apparel (fittingly pronounced ‘calm’), is a haven of boho apparel sewing patterns alongside fabrics steeped in traditions with modern iterations from Jaipur, India.
Modelled magnificently by Shannon @Pins_And_Tonic and Serah @SerahSews, the Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with sleek lines and elegant curves. You won’t be able to stop at just one!
Subscribers – keep an eye on your inbox on Sunday for your exclusive download code. Everyone else - subscribe now before Sunday so you don`t miss out!
Launch date: 5th March 💕
Link in bio 💕
Pink wall courtesy of the good folk at @ShareTheDignityAustralia, an organisation that aims to bring dignity to women, girls and those who menstruate who are experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and period poverty. 💕
Sewing and instructions: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintMagazine #PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress
