Christmas sweaters contribute to plastic pollution

December 10, 2019

The materials that make up Christmas sweaters could contribute to plastic pollution in the oceans, according to CNN.

UK-based charity Hubbub analyzed 108 Christmas sweaters and found that 95% of them contained plastic materials, primarily in the form of acrylic fibers. Approximately 44% of the sweaters were made entirely from acrylic.

Acrylic has been shown in studies by Plymouth University to release 730,000 microfibers into the water stream per wash.

These microplastics are then swept from the washing machine and into the water supply, eventually making their way to the ocean, drinking water supplies, and onto food crops.

According to CNN, people in the UK alone will purchase 12 million Christmas sweaters this holiday season, despite already owning 65 million sweaters. Approximately two-fifths of the sweaters purchased will not be worn more than once.

Hubbub recommends swapping sweaters with friends or shopping second-hand in order to avoid contributing to this pollution.

The full article from CNN is available here.

Christmas sweaters contribute to plastic pollution

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