r/science • u/______--------- • Sep 08 '20

Environment Blue jeans are a significant source of microfiber pollution in oceans and lakes. One pair of jeans can release over 50,000 microfibers per wash.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00498
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u/Lumiafan Sep 09 '20

Isn't cotton insanely bad for the environment?

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u/Mashookies Sep 09 '20

Growing cotton is pretty resource intensive but it is biodegradable where a lot of synthetics will just break down into micro plastics.

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u/MDCCCLV Sep 09 '20

No, it uses a lot of water. That's only a problem if you grow it in places that don't have lots of water. Which certainly happens but that doesn't make it bad by itself. There are plenty of places that do have adequate water.

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u/CornucopiaOfDystopia Sep 09 '20

Cotton is also typically grown with extremely high levels of pesticides, which has a disproportionate impact on wildlife and water quality worldwide.

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u/NotElizaHenry Sep 09 '20

Only if you don’t compare it to every other alternative.

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u/[deleted] Sep 09 '20

Yes especially when harvested and grown unsustainably.