Cotton Incorporated Goes ‘Behind the Wash’ to Break Free from Microplastics
October 17, 2025 Cotton Incorporated has dropped its top-line report on the global assessment of plastic leakage.
An article written by Alexandra Harrell and appearing on the SJ Denim website focuses on information from a Cotton Incorporated assessment of microplastic leakage in the global apparel industry. Harrell notes that the global apparel market is responsible for 8.3 million metric tons (14%) of plastic leakage every year as the fashion industry generates a whopping 8.3 million tons of plastic waste, give or take. For scale, it’s the same weight as if 820 Eiffel Towers were built year after year, the report reads — almost nine times the weight of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The study identified improper synthetic garment disposal as the industry’s heaviest driver, with plastic-based textiles causing around 10 times more leakage than their cotton counterparts with that leakage more likely to occur in destination countries for used clothing.
The entire article including more information about the report and its findings can be found here.
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