By Doug Wood

If you’re one of those people who is aware that our planet is awash in harmful chemicals, you’re probably used to reading product and food labels. After a while, you begin to recognize some of the worst offenders and you try to avoid them when you can.

But what about those items that come with no ingredient list like your clothes? You may be surprised to know that clothing, especially synthetic clothing, is made using any number of toxic chemicals that can make you sick when you wear them and can make the planet sick when you discard them.

The clothes we wear make a statement about us, whether intentional or not. For some people, it’s incredibly important that they wear just the right thing. Other people aren’t so particular. But either way, everyone wears clothes and the clothing industry is big business.

As of 2023, the global apparel industry was valued at $1.7 trillion and is expected to grow to $3 trillion by 2030. Out of the global workforce of 3.4 billion people, approximately 430 million work in fashion, clothing and textile production.

Distinguishing your brand in the intensely competitive fashion industry means finding a way to make clothes keep their shape longer, repel water or stains, stretch as you move, retain their bright colors or have other attributes that make them desirable for consumers. And that’s where the trouble begins. Because many of these attributes that manufacturers and consumers want in their clothes are obtained primarily through the use of toxic chemicals that are hidden from consumers.

For instance, most men have no idea that formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, helps keep their “easy care” dress shirts wrinkle-free. Or that the chemical that repels water from that jacket is known to disrupt the endocrine system. Or that the fade-resistant dye used to make that stylish dress a standout is made possible by chemicals that can cause skin rashes, respiratory issues, neurological effects and even cancer.

Most people don’t think of their workout pants as a health hazard, but they certainly could be.  We know, for instance, that water-repellant or sweat-resistant clothing usually contains one of the many chemicals in the family known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS – those “forever” chemicals that have been all over the news lately. PFAS have been linked with immune system dysfunction, developmental delays, reproductive problems and other serious illnesses.

Now new research is showing that PFAS can be absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream. While you’re busy at the gym getting into shape, the PFAS in your pants is busy finding its way into every part of your body.

Washing those workout pants or fleeces can produce hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic fibers that go down the drain along with the wastewater. These fibers end up in our oceans, lakes and rivers where they’ll be consumed by aquatic animals, including the fish that could end up on your plate at a fancy restaurant. Talk about a circular system!

The legacy of toxic clothing laden with chemicals persists long after that old fleece or pair of workout pants has found its way into the waste stream. Synthetic plastic clothing can’t be incinerated without causing the production of very toxic air emissions, which result in a lower life expectancy for people living in the nearby area. Landfilling plastic clothes only delays the inevitable migration of chemicals into our environment as the plastic slowly disintegrates into microplastics and nanoplastics, which find their way into ground or surface waters, carrying along all of the toxic chemicals contained in the original garment.

We can do better than this for our planet, and ourselves. First, we can stop buying so much plastic clothing. We can buy cotton T-shirts instead of polyester ones. They’re more comfortable anyway. We can buy cotton dress shirts that may need a little ironing. We can buy wool sweaters and hats instead of plastic fleece and teach our kids why. After all, they’re the ones who will benefit most.

Second, we can demand that clothing manufacturers be more responsible. We can let fast-fashion merchandisers know that we want clothing that looks great, performs well, doesn’t cost a fortune but doesn’t harm our health or wreck the planet either. Surely if 50 years ago, we figured out how to send a man to the moon and return him to earth, we should be able to make a pair of workout pants that won’t hurt you or the planet.

For more information about the chemical toxins in clothes, I strongly recommend “To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick and How We Can Fight Back,” by Alden Wicker. Find it at your local bookstore or library.