Conservation photographer Ben Von Wong is drawing attention to a serious pollution threat with these ‘Toxic Laundry’ photos. (Photo: Ben Von Wong )
If you’re like most Americans, you have a closet filled with clothes made from synthetic materials. Fleece jacket? Check. Yoga pants. Yup. That little black dress? Probably.
Today, if you’re wearing clothes, then you’re probably wearing polyester and the plastic that comes with it. According to Tecnon OrbiChem, a company that analyzes data regarding world chemical use, polyester has been the world’s most dominant fiber since around 2007. From 1980 to 2007, the quantity of polyester produced annually increased from 5.8 million tons to 34 million tons.
By 2025, that number is expected to almost triple to around 99.8 million tons.
That’s a good thing, right? From an environmental perspective, the production of polyester is no more harmful than the production of cotton. Win-win, no? The truth is that rate of growth isn’t something to celebrate. In fact, it’s what fueled conservation photographer Ben Von Wong to raise awareness of a problem almost all of us contribute to. But before we tell you more about his colorful work, it helps to understand the problem in […]
Full article: Your laundry is more toxic than you think
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