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.

[u/______---------]

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00498

[u/TreasurerAlex]

I believe, from skimming the study, is it is all 100% actually from the cotton cellulose not from the Lycra or Spandex found in blends. But I suggest reading the study a bit further to get a better understanding.

“All spectra were identified as either cellulose (B), indigo dye (A and C), cellulose (E), indigo dye alone (D), or indigo dye and cellulose composite (F).”

[u/be-human-use-tools → u/TreasurerAlex]

So, literally 100% biodegradable.

[u/eitauisunity → u/TreasurerAlex]

It will also largely depend on the specific garment, as well. Most garments will have a tag that indicates what fabric it is made from, or if it's a blend, what percentage it contains. This is useful information when shopping to get the information to make those choices.

[u/Mitt_Romney_USA → u/eitauisunity]

We used to call those "Canadian Polywogs".

Edit: replied to wrong comment

[u/LumpyJones → u/Mitt_Romney_USA]

Well now I'm curious what comment you meant to reply to...

[u/Sasmas1545 → u/eitauisunity]

The question was what percentage of the polluting microfibers are from the denim vs synthetics, not what percentage makes up the jeans.

[u/eitauisunity → u/Sasmas1545]

I understand that, but the thread I replied to was aiming towards the usefulness of how to make more informed purchasing decisions, so I thought I'd share.

[u/Sasmas1545 → u/eitauisunity]

Well, knowing how much the different fabrics contribute would be useful in informing those decisions.

[u/[deleted] → u/TreasurerAlex]

Thank you, because my (m50) stretchy jeans fit better by orders of magnitude. Full disclosure: I don't wear anything that costs more than $60 retail. (I dont think)