The Mediterranean has a problem that isn't visible to the naked eye. Beneath that blue surface inviting you to dive headfirst from a rock in Cadaqués, millions of plastic particles float — so small they fit on a pinhead. They're called microplastics. And a significant portion comes from the clothes we wear.
What Are Textile Microplastics?
When you wash a polyester t-shirt, a virgin nylon swimsuit or an acrylic sweatshirt, the fabric releases thousands of synthetic microfibres — plastic fragments less than 5mm that water treatment plants don't retain and end up in the sea.
A single wash cycle can release between 100,000 and 700,000 microfibres according to studies from Plymouth University. Multiplied by every washing machine in the world, the result is devastating.
The Impact on the Mediterranean
- Ingested by plankton, fish and molluscs
- Enter the food chain — and end up on our plates
- Absorb chemical pollutants and concentrate them
- Persist in the ecosystem for centuries
On the beaches of Cap de Creus and the Costa Brava, microplastic levels far above the European average have been detected. Summer tourism — and the clothes it brings — is part of the problem.
The Textile Industry: The Culprit Nobody Points At
Fast fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. Synthetic fabrics — nylon, polyester, acrylic — don't biodegrade. The logic of fast fashion multiplies the wash cycle and, with it, microfibre emissions.
What We Can Do
- Choose natural fibres — organic cotton, linen, wool. They don't release plastic microfibres.
- Buy less, choose durable pieces — fewer washes, fewer fibres in the sea.
- Use anti-microfibre wash bags — like Guppyfriend, which retain up to 86% of fibres.
- If you use synthetics, choose recycled — recycled polyester doesn't eliminate the washing problem, but avoids extracting new oil.
What We Do at OKTOP
In Cadaqués we see the direct impact on the sea on our doorstep. That's why our sweatshirts and t-shirts are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton — no synthetic microfibres. And for the swimwear, where synthetic is technically necessary, we use 100% recycled materials: pre-consumer recycled polyamide on the outside.
It's not a perfect solution. But it's the most responsible choice we can make today.