From Oil to Wardrobe: The Hidden Cost of Polyester

Polyester is everywhere: in your clothes, your sneakers, home furnishings, even your face mask. It’s cheap, wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying, and durable. But behind those perks lie serious environmental, health, and ethical costs.

Below is a closer look at how polyester is made, its impact on the environment and pollution, and what we know about its effects on human skin and health.

How Polyester Is Made

Polyester refers most commonly to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a synthetic polymer. Wikipedia+4Wikipedia+4Sewport+4

Here are the main steps:

1. Raw Materials
   The base ingredients are derived from fossil fuels: crude oil, natural gas and related hydrocarbons. Key chemicals include ethylene glycol (MEG) and terephthalic acid (or its precursor p-xylene). Natural Clothing+3Wikipedia+3Textile Exchange+3
   
   

2. Polymerization / Polycondensation
   These chemicals react in high temperature processes to form long polymer chains. Water or methanol are by-products, depending on whether you start with terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT). Wikipedia+2Sewport+2
   
   

3. Extrusion / Spinning
   The molten polymer is then extruded (pushed through spinnerets) to form filaments/fibers. These are cooled, drawn (stretched) to improve strength, and can be used either as continuous filament or cut into staple fibers. Sewport+2Wikipedia+2
   
   

4. Weaving/Knitting & Finishing
   Fibers are woven or knitted into fabrics; then dyed, treated, sometimes blended with natural fibers. Natural Clothing+1
   
   

5. Recycling (where applicable)
   There is recycled PET (rPET) made from post-consumer bottles and other plastic waste. This reduces some of the reliance on virgin (fresh fossil fuel) polyester, but recycling is imperfect, energy-intensive, and often doesn’t address all the downstream problems. Textile Exchange+2Trellis+2

Environmental Impacts & Pollution

Polyester isn’t just about energy use. The entire lifecycle—from extraction, production, use, to disposal—has many environmental externalities.

Carbon Footprint & Resource Use

• Fossil fuel dependency: Because most polyester is derived from petroleum, its production links directly to greenhouse gas emissions and to the environmental harms of oil extraction. Made How+3Textile Exchange+3Sewport+3
  
  

• Energy and water: The manufacturing processes are energy-intensive. Depending on the dyeing, finishing, and spinning, significant water pollution and chemical usage is involved. Natural Clothing+2Trellis+2
  
  

Microplastics & Fibres Pollution

• Shedding in laundry: Every time we wash polyester clothes, tiny plastic fibers (microfibers) are released. These end up in water systems, eventually to oceans, harming aquatic ecosystems. For example, a single load of laundry with polyester fabrics can release tens or hundreds of thousands of microplastic fibres. Wikipedia+3ScienceDirect+3UNRIC+3
  
  

• Persistent pollution: These microfibres don’t biodegrade. They accumulate. They can be ingested by marine animals, entering food chains. ScienceDirect+2UNRIC+2
  
  

Waste & End-of-Life Problems

• Non-biodegradability: Polyester (especially virgin PET) resists natural breakdown. Disposed garments and fabric scraps linger in landfills for decades. Natural Clothing+1
  
  

• Fast fashion exacerbation: Cheap garments encourage over-consumption. More clothes mean more washing, more disposal, and more pollution. UNRIC+1
  
  

Broader Ecological Effects

• Greenhouse gas emissions: Because of the fossil fuel base and energy intensity. Synthetic fibers, with polyester leading, make up a large share of emissions in the textile industry. Vogue Business+1
  
  

• Toxic chemicals: Dyes, finishing agents, residual catalysts can be hazardous if not managed well. They can pollute waterways, soil, and affect wildlife. Natural Clothing+1

Human Health & Skin Impacts

Although most focus is on environmental effects, research increasingly shows concern for skin, respiratory health, and broader human impacts.

• Microplastics & nano-plastics: These tiny particles can enter the body via inhalation, ingestion, or possibly through skin contact. PMC+1
  
  

• Skin irritation, inflammation: Some studies show microplastics can induce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in skin cells, potentially contributing to premature aging or skin barrier damage. MDPI+1
  
  

• Endocrine disruption & other systemic effects: Microplastics may act as carriers for toxic compounds (e.g. persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals). They may also disrupt hormone systems. PMC+2PMC+2
  
  

• Allergies, discomfort: Polyester’s poor breathability and moisture absorption can trap sweat against skin, sometimes causing itching, rashes, or heat discomfort—especially in warm or humid environments. While the polyester itself isn’t strongly allergenic in most people, chemical additives or finishes used (dyes, flame-retardants, coatings) may cause irritation. (Note: direct clinical studies are less plentiful here.) Dr.Oracle+1

What Can Be Done & Alternatives

To mitigate these harms, there are several strategies:

• Use recycled polyester (rPET) where possible. It reduces reliance on virgin fossil resources, may lower energy inputs. But it doesn’t solve all issues (microfibres shedding and chemical finishing still matter).
  
  

• Limit use: Buy fewer, better-quality clothes. Opt for natural fibers when appropriate.
  
  

• Better care: Wash synthetic garments less often, in colder water, with full loads. Use laundry bags or filters that trap microfibres.
  
  

• Innovate materials: Bio-based or biodegradable polyester alternatives are being developed. arXiv
  
  

• Waste management & recycling systems: Improve textile recycling infrastructure, push for circular systems.
  
  

• Policy & regulation: Enforce limits on chemical finishes, mandate microfibre filters, set environmental standards for textile production.
  

Conclusion

Polyester has helped shape modern fashion and everyday products by offering durability, easy care, and affordable cost. But those benefits come with trade-offs: climate change, water pollution, microplastic contamination, and possible health concerns.

Raising awareness of these hidden costs is the first step. The next is action—by consumers, brands, and governments—to choose and support materials, production methods, and regulatory frameworks that protect both people and planet.