I care about the environment as much as the next person, and I’m all for recycling, but is it healthy to wear clothing that is made from recycled plastic? Clothing companies  produce t-shirts and other items that are made from polyester which comes from recycled plastic, and they market their lines as environmentally friendly. Our skin needs to breathe, and fabrics such as cotton, linen, wool, and bamboo allow your skin to breathe and maintain your body temperature. Two liter soda bottles and other plastic packaging are used to manufacture environmentally friendly clothing. It may be good for the environment, but is it really good for your health?

Another factor to consider when selecting fabric for your clothing is the fact that synthetic fibers not only burn quickly, they melt and cling to the skin. Natural fibers such as wool are self extinguishing. Linen takes longer to ingnite than cotton and both can easily be blown out. So if you believe that it doesn’t matter what your clothes are made of and you’re ever in a fire, wearing synthetic fiber instead of natural fiber is the potential difference between minimal injuries vs. third-degree burns over the entire body.