Hi Friends of 5 Gyres,
This Plastic Free July, letβs talk about the pollution you can't see. Youβve probably heard plenty about ditching single-use plastics and bringing your own reusables β but microplastics are an invisible threat that deserve just as much attention. These tiny plastic particles are floating in our oceans, drifting through the air, and making their way into our bodies.
A surprising source of microplastic pollution? Fibers from the clothes we wear every day. While there are steps you can take on an individual level, such as washing your clothes less and shopping secondhand, real impact also depends on companies driving change from within and setting a new industry standard.
The 5 Gyres Institute and The Nature Conservancy released Reducing Microfiber Pollution: An Industry Playbook β a set of science-based, cost-effective, and easily actionable resources to support brands in reducing microfiber emissions. The guides provide practical strategies for implementing solutions across the entire textile supply chain, including design, sourcing, and manufacturing.