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Considering this is a coating that will eventually wear off I’m not sure I can fully agree with this statement.

“Our research is pushing in a different direction, where we actually solve the problem rather than putting a Band-Aid on the issue.”

I think actually solving the problem is one where our clothes are made out of things that aren’t harmful to the environment.

Not to say this isn’t very positive and reducing a problem vastly is great. But a coating that will wear off over years is pretty much a Band-Aid.

Does it not mean that your clothes become less environmentally friendly the longer you keep them?

But making your clothes last a long time is in itself, environmentally friendly.

Not quite solved when it’s like that.

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And that it’s a forever chemical

"we fixed the problem by causing another problem" is kinda our thing.

Why use sustainable cotton when you can make a synthetic coating to slow down oil based plastics from degrading?

We are not a smart species. This just sounds like the next PFAS in 20 years

Better solution: Don’t make plastic clothing fibers.

Yep, my first thought as well..

This ^^ let’s go back to 100% Cotten and our clothes will last longer. In the past ~15 years in U.K. any decent clothing company was bought and the company moth balled to cut out competition. Now it’s just flimsy clothing that stars to get holes in after 20 washes

Wool is the only natural fiber used in cold, wet extremes. Synthetic insulation, wind and waterproofing are beyond dominant in that area.
Alternatives ate needed. PFC free waterproof breathable is out but niche so far.

Tldr. Cotton kills in cold & wet. Synthetics need sustainable fabrics that match synthetic’s qualities.

What good is water proof clothing if it poisons the water and everything in it or feeds off it?

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Yeah no, I doubt this is a solution. Treating a toxic problem with a temporary coating of an untested material is such an antipattern. Let's just stop making fabrics from plastic and go back to all natural fibers. I've done it in my household, especially motivated since we're on well and septic.

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God forbid that we just use renewable natural fibers for clothing and stop dressing in unhealthy plastic.

While it's true synthetics get used a lot for outdoor clothing it's mostly a cost factor. There is no widely used insulation that's as good as down, there is no better shell material imo than wool. (Water resistant, maintaining 70% of it's insulation value when wet, durable, and flame retardant) Natural materials are heavier and more expensive though

And in 5 years we'll discover that coating causes cancer.

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Or, you know, we can stop using synthetic fabrics.

They are basically there to trick people anyway. They are softer (temporarily!) and then get garbage feel. They are a bait and switch, they don't last as long, they are less likely to wick moisture and more likely to grow mold and bacteria.

The day I put two and two together and realized that the only decent clothes I own had basically no synthetic fibers, that was a good day. Made a point of never buying any synthetic crap again. That was years and years ago. Doesn't apply to winter outer gear (ie, windbreaker material).

Now knowing that they also release microplastics, which we don't know the full extent of how they can damage the human body over time, we really need to regulate or tax the use of synthetics. Right now they are so much cheaper that every clothes company wants to use them as their high profit margin clothes and just push out a ton of them, when instead, synthetics should only be used when they have the desired characteristics in the fabric (ie, stretch, waterproof).

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I love wool but I really wish it was more durable.

Lemme guess...it uses PFAs

It sounds like you're saying that doubling the life of our clothes isn't worth it because we can't make them last forever.

This is a plan that will result in a significant reduction of microplastic in washwater, even if the coating eventually does wear off.

10 years from now*.. so apparently the synthetic coating used on clothes to not shed miroplastic is a source of super cancer.

> Not to say this isn’t very positive and reducing a problem vastly is great. But a coating that will wear off over years is pretty much a Band-Aid.

Not if you're a company who advertises it as "environmentally safe" and reaps the profits unfortunately. I can see this being used in that way, and this is a perfect advertisement for that. As you said, doesn't really "help" the environment or problem at all aside from making things last a bit longer before they start shedding microplastics. Doesn't mean a company won't use this with manipulative advertising.

I mean, it's been what humanity as a whole has been doing forever. We discover some amazing perfect new solution and invest heavily, until 20 years later we learn it's not as good/safe as we initially thought.

Bruh. if it's the difference between dying today of cold and dying of chemicals in a few decades, I'll take it.

Who can afford that?

A cultural shift is required. People don't *want* their clothes to last a long time. Various marketing efforts over the past hundred years have convinced us to care about fast fashion.

There was a time when "fashion" was just for fops and dandies. In order for sustainable clothing to be a thing, we need to return to that attitude.

Cool, so you're both short sighted and willing to harm others for your convenience.

Yep, in 20 years we will talking about super coating PFAs that are 10x more harmful.

Or don’t buy them

There is also hemp.

Hemp too. It's a pretty strong fabric, the plant grows relatively fast compared to cotton, and it uses less water as well

We coat it in PFAS to stop the microplastics from shedding. You're welcome - DuPont

People who don’t buy them still get micro plastics in their food and water.

Ban them.

It's not a bandaid to cover up a problem, it's more of a coating.

Absurd

When you compare the cost per wear of fast fashion which can wear out after a few wears, vs quality clothing which can last, be repaired and passed down it’s actually a much better deal to buy quality. Quality second hand clothes can be found for about the same price as fast fashion if you know how to look.

Seeing people in the west on average ditch clothing after wearing them for just half a year, and that clothing in majority contains synthetic fibres, I don't see what doubling the life will bring for most of the clothes. Your subarctic needs are completely insignificant in this scheme.

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Until someone finds the coating to be a carcinogen.

Reminds me of the flame retardant chemicals sprayed on children's clothing and couches...

I agree with what you wrote except the wick moisture part especially in the context of hiking and outdoors. Wools do wick moisture but synthetic fabrics do as well. They also dry very quickly, are light, can be worn in warmer temperatures, and often inexpensive. So using them for hiking and exercise is compelling. But there's a time and place for everything and I agree with you that it is better to wear natural fibers as much as possible as long as it makes sense.

I guarantee 5 years down the line we'll find that this coating causes another different environmental problem

How about we just make clothes out of natural textiles again?

And on top of that, we'll discover it's also a forever chemical.

Bamboo ticks a lot of the same boxes for me

/r/Whatcouldgowrong

I wouldn't call wool water resistant. It wicks moisture and insulates even when wet. That's why it's a good base & mid layer, but not good as an outer shell.

TIL: synthetic fabrics have been shedding harmful micro plastics for decades. Oh good.

Maybe the synthetics used in outdoor wear is different. All the synthetic I have seen the water just rolls off it, and the sweat gets trapped in the neck.

Until they find out the coating itself is the new forever chemical.

An active individual can easily answer that question. Cotton sucks for many strenuous activities, period.

If you live in the north and are going hiking up a mountain through the snow, it can kill you. I leave in an hour to do just that. I will often put a cotton layer on in between synthetic layers, but that will usually come off as I get warm and it's always soaked. As long as you keep moving, you're fine. Get lost (and run out of calories or energy) or injured, and you can go into hypothermia in under an hour above 20f and significantly faster if there is wind or if it's any colder.

There has been some real improvement in wool products, and I'm switching over to products like Smartwool where I can.

To the "band aid" comments. No, it's not a silver bullet. Yes, we need to do better. Yes, it's better than doing nothing. Yes, this could be a step in the right direction.

Finally, it's early. Do we know if this process could become an at-home application? Then, you could reapply as needed and even retroactively apply to products that didn't include it initially.

I would have to see real studies. I’ve been climbing, skiing and living outdoors my whole life. Newest fabrics are by far and away superior for outer layers and insulation often too. Even treated down fails before a synthetic

I moved on to bamboo socks

Well the alternative is to round up a few billion people living in seasonally cold climates and move them closer to the equator.

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So far few outdoor performers from that fabric.
Again my position is research and development. I hate the footprint the best gear creates. I’m outside in non optional times and once your 7 miles out….

Yeah, think of the billions of people who died, freezing in the cold, before we invented chemicals and plastics!

Dumping chemicals and plastic in the ocean is worth sacrificing tens of thousands of species of creatures, plants, and fungus, and billions of people.

Thank you for saving us all!

Considering the chemical in question, PDMS, is already widespread in food, shampoos, cosmetics, textiles etc. and we have most likely already have been in practically constant contact with it since we were born- that would suck... The novel aspect of this coating is how it is applied, not what it is made from.

Seal bladder clothes amd mukluks were the standard. Animals died by the trillions outfitting humans against cold. The lack of most mega fauna illustrates the challenges.

Alternative materials are needed.

The bulk of Goretex never goes outdoors. Just like SUV and trucks. Clothing is a status and fashion choice to talk to those around us.

Rayon is alright though I think lyocell is better than rayon since it's a bit more durable when wet. I'm currently a fan of wool/lyocell/nylon combo fabrics. You just can't be throwing them in a dryer.

If there are micro plastics in our water, surely we're breathing it in too.

Or we could revert back to cotton dominant clothing.

Everyone going around making perfect the enemy of good.

Cotton is cheap af, no one is saying to dress in cashmere wool

Does the coating cause cancer? Is it super flammable? Cause knowing inventions of the past 2 centuries, its probably going to kill us, but we won't have as many microplastics?

Is this stuff carcinogenic? I mean c'mon... there must be a catch, right?!

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I don’t think it’s that simple because the alternatives have environmental issues as well. For example, cotton is very carbon and water intensive (organic even more so) for the amount of times you can use it before it breaks down (see: cotton vs plastic shopping bags). Presumably recycled plastic clothing is less carbon intensive than cotton.

Textile production accounts for about 10% of carbon emissions. I’m not sure we currently have a good way to compare the negative externalities of additional carbon footprint and micro plastic pollution.

I think the ideal solution likely involves consumers keeping their clothing for longer, purchasing more durable clothing and not participating in “fast fashion”.

Don’t get me wrong, I prefer cotton and wool. Synthetics also have their place in many speciality and sporting applications. I believe main issue is the sheer scale of consumption and waste that we encourage in a consumer economy.

If anyone knows about the carbon footprint of wool, hemp or alternative textiles I would be curious to hear.

Exactly that.

Here's a wild thought: Stop making clothing from petrochemicals

Not necessarily, trash in developed counties tend to go to a sealed landfill along with all the other plastic materials we discard.

Could just make fabrics from real fibers maybe I dunno I'm not an expert.

It's probably made of plastic itself.

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Fast fashion is probably not going anywhere any time soon. Between carbon emissions and microplastics, we at least have a solution for the former. If we can continue transitioning to renewable energy, it won’t matter how much energy textile production uses. But plastic will still be taking up space in our landfills and water.

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We can make clothing in more environmentally friendly ways so we don't have to kill off everything that sustains us. We can all stop being ridiculous.

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