Spandex: How Athleisure is Causing Huge Future Repercussions, and Other Buying Options

Let’s talk about Spandex.

The stretchy fabric is a staple in many closets, with an industry estimated to be worth $6.9 billion in 2020. That number is expected to increase to $12.6 billion by the year 2027. The growing demand for spandex can be, in part, explained by the rise of “Athleisure” clothing. Who doesn’t love those cute, comfy matching sets that we see on what seems like every influencer?

Unfortunately, despite its popularity, Spandex is fairly detrimental to the environment. The material that Spandex is made out of is called elastane, a synthetic fabric composed of polyurethane, a known carcinogen. Furthermore, as with most synthetic fabrics, Spandex sheds microfibers, especially when washed. These microfibers make their way into our waterways and oceans and have serious environmental repercussions. In fact, the IUCN reports that between 15% and 31% of the plastic in our ocean’s could be microplastics, and 35% of this plastic pollution comes from washing synthetic textiles.

So does this mean that we have to give up our comfy Athleisure clothing? Not exactly.

As previously stated, Spandex is a multibillion dollar industry. Due to its popularity, it would be wishful thinking to believe that everybody will stop buying it simply because it’s bad for human and environmental health. Additionally, the volume of clothes that we produce to keep up with demand is too large to produce with cotton alone.

The good news is that there are ways to decrease the amount of microplastics released into waterways. Girlfriend Collective, an online boutique that emphasizes sustainability and ethically sourced products, sells a filter that attaches to washing machines and collects microfibers. You can read more about the filter and what else is being done about microplastics in our blog post ‘Microplastics: what they are and what to do.’

Aside from strategies to minimize damage, bringing awareness to this fact, advocating for more conscious consumerism, and offering alternatives is a huge step in the right direction.

Here is what you can do as a consumer to help mitigate the environmental impacts of Athleisure and the Spandex industry:

1. Buy Less!

Many of us already tend to overshop, only wearing about 40% of our clothes on a regular basis. Try to only buy clothes you will wear often.

2. Use What We Already Have

We can buy secondhand or vintage, make use of clothing exchanges online and within local communities, or up-cycle our existing clothes.

3. Consider Spandex Alternatives

There are a handful of Spandex alternatives on the market, but they tend to be a bit less accessible. DuPont Biomaterials produces a stretchy fabric called Sorona that has a longer life-span and is biodegradable. Similarly, Natural Stretch technology uses 100% cotton to create a more stretchy material.

That being said, it is important to note that none of these options are 100% perfect. Cotton, the most popular alternative, still has a massive footprint on the environment as well. However, adopting smarter buying habits, while not perfect, is a step in the right direction.

Spandex: How Athleisure is Causing Huge Future Repercussions, and Other Buying Options

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