This just in from BeyondPlastics.org:
Spread the word about these companies’ plastic clothing to more people and build momentum for change.
Sign the petition to urge children’s clothing makers to reduce their polyester footprint. here
Here’s their message that arrived today from their email to me as a subscriber:
“Did you know that most clothing is made of plastic? In fact, polyester is now the most widely produced fiber in the world, accounting for more than half of all global fiber production.1
This is a particular concern for the youngest members of society. 👶👶🏾 Babies and kids are more vulnerable to the toxic chemicals used in plastics than adults because their brains and organs are still developing, they receive a higher dosage due to their smaller body size, and they tend to put their hands and clothing in their mouths often.2 😨
That’s why we’re working to protect children’s health by calling on three top children’s clothing-makers to stop using so much toxic plastic in their products. 🛑 Will you please join us by signing our petition to these brands? ✍️
Unfortunately, more and more clothing is made out of polyester—a form of plastic made from fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals that includes many chemicals of concern. ☣️👕👖👚
Defenders of Health’s 2025 Children’s Fashion Scorecard found that many of the chemicals used in polyester — including phthalates, bisphenols, and flame retardants—are known “endocrine disrupters”3 that interfere with the body’s hormonal system, which is essential to a child’s development. Studies have found that exposure to endocrine disrupters, even at low levels, can have long-lasting consequences in children.4
Add Your Name: Stop Making Kids’ Clothes from Plastic📣
On the bright side, there are safer fibers available to clothing-makers, including cotton, linen, wool, and hemp. ✅ And, just as they control the style and fit of the clothes they manufacture, clothing companies can also choose to cut down on polyester and other synthetic fabric in their products.
Please join us in urging leading children’s clothing makers Carter’s, H&M, and The Children’s Place to stop using so much of this plastic in their products. Add your name to the petition here.
- In 2024, H&M reported that polyester makes up 22% of its clothing, with other synthetic fabrics including acrylic, elastane, and cellulosic fiber fabrics like viscose, modal, and lyocell accounting for an additional 12 to 22% of its products.5
- In 2024, Carter’s reported that polyester makes up 28% of its clothing, with the synthetic fabrics viscose and elastane accounting for an additional 2.8% of its products.6
- In 2022, The Children’s Place reported that polyester makes up 17.9% of its clothing, with the synthetic fabrics modal, viscose, nylon, elastane and acrylic accounting for an additional 2.6% of its products.7
That’s a whole LOT of plastic. 🆘
We believe that all babies and children deserve to wear safe, non-toxic clothing that will not threaten their health or harm the environment.
Please join Beyond Plastics and our allies at Defend Our Health in urging these companies to commit to reducing their polyester footprint and providing more transparency about the chemicals used in their clothing. Click the button below to add your name to the petition. ⬇️
Stop Making Plastic Kids’ Clothes
Then please spread the word to reach more people and build momentum for these companies to act.
Thank you for your help.
Cheers,
Judith Enck
President, Beyond Plastics
Former US EPA regional administrator”
Donate to fight plastic pollution
References:
1. https://textileexchange.org/app/uploads/2024/09/Materials-Market-Report-2024.pdf
2. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/estimating-mouthing-exposure-in-children-compilation-of-case-studies_debe99f0-en.html
3. https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/advocacy/edc-report2024finalcompressed.pdf
4. https://defendourhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Fashion-Scorecard-Report-2025.pdf
5. https://hmgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/HM-Group-Sustainability-progress-report-2024.pdf
6. https://cdn.bfldr.com/7AQFZOE0/at/3z75gg9c6jxxrqnmm7vsksqf/2024_RTF_Impact_Report.pdf
7. https://corporate.childrensplace.com/static/TCP-2022-ESG-Report-Final-85d3db4e7e0d6e97bdfd2425839573c5.pdf
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