But the source wasn’t plastic bags or bottle
caps. It was clothing.
During that collaboration, I also showcased my
“trashion” cyborg designs alongside Barbara
Kavchok’s art exhibit ReFash: A Futuristic
Intersection
of
Style,
Sustainability
and
Consumption
at
the
Banana
Factory
in
Bethlehem. Artists and designers from around
the
world
contributed,
spotlighting
the
devastating
effects
of
fast
fashion—from
overproduction to toxic plastic waste. It was a
truly remarkable and affirming experience to
be a part of.
Through my education work, I’ve also taught
students to examine fabric under microscopes.
What looks like soft fleece reveals itself as a
tangled web of synthetic polymer fibers—
shedding constantly with wear and washing.
Laundry wastewater is now one of the main
sources of microplastics in our freshwater
systems. Even treatment plants can’t fully filter
out the smaller nano plastics, which are now
showing up in human lungs, placenta, breast
milk, and blood.
Early research suggests these particles can
cross the blood-brain barrier, disrupt cellular
function, and trigger immune responses. And
we wear this risk daily. We gift it to our children
in soft pajamas. We jog in it. We donate it,
thinking we’re helping—only for it to pollute
another corner of the planet.
Plastic in fashion hides in plain sight. From
glittery trims and waterproof coatings to elastic
waistbands, our clothes are filled with synthetic
materials
and
toxic
additives
like
BPA,
phthalates,
and
PFAS—so-called
“forever
chemicals” that persist in our bodies and the
environment.
These substances don’t just contaminate water
and air. They accumulate in human tissue,
disrupt
hormones,
and
are
linked
to
reproductive
issues,
cancers,
and
neurodevelopmental
delays.
Our
skin—the
body’s largest organ—is exposed daily.
One of the most sobering findings comes from
Dr.
Shanna
Swan,
environmental
epidemiologist at Mount Sinai and author of
Count Down. Her research reveals a 50% global
decline in sperm count over the past 40 years,
largely due to endocrine-disrupting chemicals
in plastics, including those in fashion. If trends
continue, sperm count could reach zero by
2045. Natural reproduction would be nearly
impossible. And fashion, once again, is part of
the problem.
A Toxic Wardrobe
The Invisible Invader:
Microplastics and Nanoplastics
In 2024, a moment that forever shifted my
understanding of textiles and microplastics
happened at Lafayette College’s Sustainability
Department in Pennsylvania. Working with
Samantha Smith and the science team, we
examined microplastics and microfibers under
microscopes. As part of a senior thesis, a
student was researching microplastic ingestion
in local bird populations—and discovered
something deeply troubling: 100% of the birds
studied had microplastic particles embedded
in their bodies.
Fashion’s Chemical Legacy
This exposure isn’t limited to consumers.
Garment workers—most of them women in the
Global South—face toxic conditions during
production, often inhaling or touching dyes,
flame retardants, and plasticizers. This is an
urgent environmental justice issue.
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