Plastic in Your Wardrobe Calculator
Find out how much plastic could be hiding in your clothes — and explore their estimated carbon and water footprint.
Your Wardrobe Estimate
What does this mean?
Reduce your impact
- Keep synthetic clothes in use for as long as possible.
- Buy synthetic garments preloved rather than creating demand for new ones.
- Wash clothing only when it actually needs washing.
- Use cooler and gentler wash cycles where suitable.
- Consider a microfibre-catching laundry bag or washing-machine filter.
- When buying new, consider durable natural fibres where appropriate.
How does this calculator work?
This calculator estimates how much plastic-based fibre may be present in synthetic clothing using typical garment weights and estimated synthetic fibre percentages.
Polyester, nylon and acrylic are synthetic fibres made from petrochemical-based polymers — in other words, forms of plastic.
The CO₂e and water figures are broad illustrative estimates based on assumed average manufacturing impacts for each garment category.
Actual impacts vary substantially depending on materials, fibre percentages, manufacturing location, dyeing, transport, washing and garment lifespan.
These results should therefore be treated as educational estimates rather than precise environmental measurements.