Hey urban nomads! In a few of our previous blog posts, we talked about the some tourism activities that can only be done during winter. Aside from the activities itself which cause environmental pollution, the winter wear also pose considerable harm to the environment.

Polyester, nylon, acrylic and synthetic fibers make up 60% of the material and they are all forms of plastic (Resnick, 2018). Winter cools are generally made from wool or acrylic and the outer of puffer jackets is produced from polyester (Payne, 2020).

Microplastic pollution in food chain

Fibers released after each wash

With each wash, synthetic fibers fall off. However, these fibers are so small – less than 5mm in length, with diameters measured in micrometers and these tiny plastic fibers pass through sewage treatment plants (Resnick, 2018). Treated wastewater is ten discharged into the sea, carrying the fibers with it and adding to the microplastic pollution. “A population of 100,000 people would produce approximately 1.02 kilograms of fibers each day” which is equivalent to around 360kg per year of plastic fibers (Resnick, 2018).

Accumulation of microplastic in the food chain

Microplastic pollution is harmful as it is difficult and near impossible to remove them and it has the ability to accumulate in the food chain as it is consumed by plankton, invertebrates, and fish and ultimately be consumed by humans. Aside from it being toxic through the direct ingestion by wildlife, microplastic also function like a sponge and soak up other toxins in the water and can travel long distances (Lin, 2016). 73% of fish caught in the Northwest Atlantic had microplastic in their stomachs (Resnick, 2018).

Microplastic pollution in corals

Under a black light, fluorescent green microplastics are seen

Microplastic is also a threat to coral reefs – a scientific study showed that most corals would rather consume plastic to actual food and once they have consumed enough plastic which has no nutritious value, they stopped consuming actual food (Howard, 2019). Also, a layer of bacteria lies on top of the microplastic and when ingested by the corals, the corals died.

Of course, when we travel to cold places, we would definitely need some winter clothing and I’m not here to say that you shouldn’t purchase one. Perhaps, we could consider natural alternatives like wool to prevent microplastic pollution. Certifications like the Responsible Down Standard can be used to check whether the company safeguards the welfare of geese and ducks and assures that the puffer jackets are ethically sourced.

References:

Howard, J. (2019, June 25). These corals choose to eat plastic over food. Retrieved September 14, 2020, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/these-corals-choose-to-eat-plastic-over-food/

Lin, V. S. (2016). Research highlights: Impacts of microplastics on plankton. Environmental Science–Processes & Impacts, 18(2), 160-163. doi:10.1039/c6em90004f

Payne, A. (2020). Sustainable shopping: Where to find a puffer jacket that doesn’t warm the Earth. Retrieved September 14, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-where-to-find-a-puffer-jacket-that-doesnt-warm-the-earth-95515

Resnick, B. (2018). More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans. Retrieved September 14, 2020, from https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/19/17800654/clothes-plastic-pollution-polyester-washing-machine