That's really interesting. Runoff from washing machines is not something I'd thought about much, as far as ocean pollution goes. I wonder how quickly natural fibers degrade in the sewer system, and how much dyes affect the waste stream as well. I wonder if there's a better way to make synthetic thread and cloth so that it won't produce as much of the very small plastic pieces that those scientists are concerned about.
There are some upsides to synthetic fibers as per durability and such, not to mention the synthetics that are made from recycled materials. And of course the growth of cotton is one of the biggest users of pesticides in the world, not to mention water. And the animals for animal fibers need feed and land to live on.
Obviously it's something we're going to have to address, because the supply of petroleum isn't going to last for a lot longer at this rate of use. But I really wonder if we could even manage to clothe all the people in the world at this point using only natural fibers.
