What is fleece?

Fleece is a soft and napped (meaning raised, with a fuzzy feel) fabric with insulating properties. It was invented in 1979 by Malden Mills and Patagonia in an effort to design a replacement to natural wool. The technology was atypically not patented at this time, allowing it to be manufactured widely outside the company.

Fleece is a synthetic material, not organic

Contrary to popular belief, fleece is not an organic fabric. The delicate and puffy texture is created by spinning hot polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into thin fibers, of which are then cut, spun, knit, and brushed into the desired product.

Fleece contributes highly to microplastic pollution

According to a study on textile microfiber pollution organized by the Canadian conservation association Ocean Wise, fleece had by far the most microfibers shed by weight. In this study, various plastic-based and non-plastic materials were washed and recorded against water temperature, load size, spin cycle, and other variables to simulate daily laundering. 

Results showed that for every kilogram of fleece material, there were up to 0.5-1 grams of microfiber material (microplastics in this case) shed into the effluent, or laundry wastewater. Knit fleece, a customary type of manufacturing in most fleeces, is at the very top of this list, suggesting that the combination of super fine polyester fibers and weakly connected grafts of material combine to make a perfect storm of microplastic contamination.

Microplastics from fleece can also be dermally absorbed through the skin

Another study on the dermal absorption of flame retardant additives in microplastics is one of the many research papers concluding that these small plastic particles can be also absorbed through our skin with ease.

In this paper, the measure of microplastic exposure directly correlates with total material exposed to the skin surface, so it can be extrapolated that the plastic fabrics that shed the most, like fleece, are going to be the worst for our health.

This makes fleece products a significant two-pronged attack on our health -- washing it poisons our ecosystem and wearing it poisons ourselves.

Safe non-toxic alternatives to fleece

While fleece might be everywhere, it is actually one of the easier fabrics to avoid. Check the labels to see if your favorite outfit contains polyester, the most common material in most fleeces. 

Pure wool or merino wool blends will be the closest fabric alternatives to fleece you can find. Wool is more expensive and heavier than fleece, but has better insulation properties and still insulates even while wet.

If you can’t swap out your fleece for an organic alternative, try to at least avoid direct and prolonged skin contact with fleece when possible. Fleece-lined pajamas are an example of skin-contacting clothing that shouldn’t be worn if microplastic absorption is a priority.

Fleece underwear isn’t common, but you should consider 100% non-synthetic underwear if you aren’t currently wearing it.

More on plastic and plastic-free fabrics

Looking for more ways to avoid microplastics? Refer to our guide on fabric selection for finding the best microplastic-free clothing to add to your wardrobe.

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