Fast fashion kills

Fast fashion depends heavily on synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. These materials are durable and inexpensive, but they also contribute to a less visible form of pollution: microplastics and synthetic microfibres released during wear, washing and disposal.

Synthetic clothing is a documented source of microplastic pollution

Recent research confirms that household washing releases microplastic fibres from synthetic textiles. Polyester, recycled polyester, polyamide, acrylic and polypropylene fabrics can all shed plastic microfibres into wastewater. The quantities vary according to fabric construction, weight, thickness and washing conditions, but the phenomenon itself is well established.

Microplastics do not remain outside the human body

Microplastics have now been detected in a growing range of human tissues. Their presence does not by itself prove that they cause a specific disease, but it does show that human exposure is real and that these particles can cross biological barriers.

What do we know about cancer?

The scientific picture is still developing. It has not been demonstrated that wearing synthetic clothing directly causes cancer. But the opposite has not been demonstrated either: there is no proof that chronic exposure to microplastics released from synthetic materials is harmless from a carcinogenic perspective.

Several findings justify serious attention. Microplastics have been detected in human tumour tissues, including lung, gastric, colorectal, cervical and pancreatic tumours. Experimental and review literature also describes mechanisms such as oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, genotoxic effects and changes in the tumour microenvironment — mechanisms that are biologically relevant to carcinogenesis and tumour progression.

A 2025 systematic review on colorectal cancer reported relatively high microplastic accumulation in colorectal biopsies and found that, in one case-control study, accumulation was significantly higher in cancer tissue than in controls. The authors explicitly concluded that further research is needed to determine whether microplastic exposure initiates or contributes to colorectal cancer development.

The precautionary principle

This is precisely where the precautionary principle matters. European policy applies this principle when there is a plausible risk of serious harm to health or the environment but scientific uncertainty remains about the exact form or magnitude of that harm.

In other words, uncertainty is not evidence of safety. When exposure is widespread, persistent and avoidable, waiting for absolute proof of harm before reducing that exposure can itself be an irresponsible choice.

Why fast fashion amplifies the problem

The issue is not limited to one fibre. Fast fashion increases the volume of clothing produced, shortens product lifecycles, accelerates washing and disposal cycles and multiplies the amount of synthetic material entering homes, wastewater and the environment.

Reducing unnecessary consumption, choosing durable garments and limiting dependence on synthetic fibres are therefore reasonable precautionary measures.

The ERVERTE position

At ERVERTE Paris, we prioritise natural fibres and garments designed to be worn for a long time. We do not claim that science has already proved every long-term consequence of microplastic exposure. We argue something simpler: the absence of complete proof of harm is not proof of safety, and when credible warning signals accumulate, precaution is a rational response.

Sources

• Recent research on microplastic fibre release from synthetic textiles during domestic washing.
• Peer-reviewed studies detecting microplastics in human tissues and tumour samples.
• Systematic reviews on microplastics, oxidative stress, inflammation, genotoxicity and cancer-related mechanisms.
• European Commission guidance on the precautionary principle.

Continue exploring: read what current research says about common microplastic exposure sources, or take a closer look at polyester.