Mohammad Amir Khsaru
Plastic is a material that can be shaped at any forms when soft. Common plastics polymers used in textile clothes are Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Polypropylene (PP), Polystyrene (PS), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Macro, micro and nano-plastics are three categories generated from plastic materials. Small pieces of plastic material less than 5 mm of Diameter is known as microplastics. Nowadays, micro plastic pollution has become a big problem. Microplastics mainly two types;
1. Primary Microplastics: It is released as small plastic particles into the environment. The most prevalent kinds of Microplastics are tiny pieces created for industrial use, such as those found in makeup and the tiny fibers that come off of clothing, finish nets, and textiles.
2. Secondary Microplastics: Larger plastics, like Water bottles, decompose, leaving behind Secondary Microplastics. Secondary microplastics are formed when the polymers degrade due to environmental weathering.
Microplastic pollution effects:
We know that plastic can be consumed by the environment and no animal can consume it in the same way. We constantly use a lot of plastic bottles, synthetic clothes, and so on and throw them into the environment after use. We are producing new products (Bottles, Clothes, Plastics, etc) from old products (Bottles, Clothes, Plastics, etc) as a sustainable solution. Making new clothes/plastic materials from recycled plastic or synthetic polymer is a general solution. But is this recycling process actually filtering my environment? This huge amount of microplastic is mixed in our environment. In Europe, 8% of microplastics in oceans are released from synthetic textiles. Microplastic particles from the ocean mix with the water and enter the fish. In recent studies, these microplastic particles have been found in fish, meat, groundwater, milk and even honey. A study found that the main source of microplastic pollution in the environment is clothing made of synthetic fibers. To reduce microplastic pollution, there may soon be big changes and policies in the textile industry and its impact will also be felt in Bangladesh. We should find the right solution now.
How textile materials are responsible for microplastics pollution:
The horrors of fast fashion are increasing waste in the apparel industry. Fast fashion basically means rushing towards new clothes as a result of changing clothing tastes very soon. In developed and developing countries, a garment is thrown into the environment after half 1/2 wear. With the fast fashion trends of today, the textile industry is looking at designing clothes in less time and at less cost. Many garment manufacturing companies have increased their inclination to produce single-use garments.
Effects of microplastic pollution on future textiles:
In certain research, the Australian government realized that washing machines are also responsible for microplastic pollution, among other reasons. They had taken too many steps to reduce pollution. The European Union has already taken too many steps to reduce microplastic pollution. To reduce microplastics, the Australian Government will work with all washing machine-producing industries by 2030 to ensure microfiber filters in washing machines. The EU has opposed the use of synthetic polymer-mixed or made products to save nature from microplastics. Amendment to Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) with regard to synthetic polymer microparticles: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 of September 25, 2023. According to the analysis, very soon all of the world will take the right actions to reduce microplastic pollution, including banning plastic use and reducing the use of non-biodegradable synthetic polymer fabrics. From the above discussion, we could say that in the future, non-biodegradable synthetic polymers would be fully banned in some countries and restricted in use all over the world.
Sustainable solution to the microplastic pollution:
We should find a sustainable solution to microplastic pollution. Our economy totally depends on textiles. To get a sustainable market for Bangladeshi textiles and ensure a bright textile future, we should focus on solutions to world microplastics pollution. We must focus on research to see how we can find solutions. Biodegradable synthetic polymers, use of nanocellulose and regenerated cellulose fiber, reducing use of synthetic fiber polymers, new natural & regenerated fiber-based products, fashion tends to use natural or regenerated fabrics, and so on.
Conclusion:
Bangladesh’s leading economic sector is the textile sector, and most people are employed there. Our current world is changing day by day. A lot of research has been done to save our environment. Microplastic pollution is now a big problem all over the world. The USA, the EU, and Australia restricted many products’ production & supply to reduce microplastic pollution. According to the above analysis, we can easily say that in the future, non-biodegradable synthetic polymer-based clothes and synthetic polymer mixed clothes will be banned in most of the leading countries, and restrictions will be placed on non-biodegradable synthetic polymers or synthetic fibers throughout the world. This is the right time to think about biodegradable synthetic polymers as sustainable solutions.
