Cotton Campaign Takes on Microplastics

Forrest Laws, Contributor

In our throwaway society, plastic has become a global problem. Scientists estimate 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic are littering the world's oceans. In the Pacific Ocean, an "island" of plastics believed to be twice the size of Texas is interfering with ships' navigation and threatening marine life.

But, what may be even more sobering is the amount of microplastic and nanoplastic particles that researchers say are accumulating in the human body and the impact they may be having on people's health.

"We encounter microplastics everywhere: trash, dust, fabrics, cosmetics, cleaning products, rain, seafood, produce, table salt and more," according to Harvard Medicine, the magazine of Harvard Medical School. "Little wonder microplastics have been detected throughout our body. Investigators have been probing how they get into organs and tissues from the lungs and gastrointestinal tract," the magazine noted.

Despite similar reports from the National Institutes of Health, Nature magazine, the British Broadcasting Corp. and other outlets, a 2025 survey of 974 consumers conducted for the National Cotton Council (NCC) by Cotton Inc. found only 33% of those surveyed were "very aware" of microplastics pollution. A smaller percentage of those respondents connected microplastic ingestion with clothing.

NEW AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

The National Cotton Council is trying to change those perceptions with its "Plant Not Plastic" campaign to make consumers more aware of growing health concerns about microplastics.

"Consumers need to understand the difference between synthetic and natural fibers, and make informed decisions about them," explains Marjory L. Walker, vice president of operations for the NCC. "We hear about microplastics in what you eat and drink, but the fact that apparel is part of the problem is something few people are aware of."

It's no secret cotton and polyester have been competing for market share since the introduction of "The Fabric of Our Lives" commercials produced by Cotton Inc. in the 1980s. For years, cotton was winning the battle, with many consumers looking for the Seal of Cotton trademark on clothing labels.

More recently, cotton's share of total fiber use has shrunk to 21%, as China increased its polyester output by about 15% per year after cotton prices exceeded $1 per pound in 2021. Consumers who still look for the U.S. cotton label are likely to be disappointed, as more T-shirts and other products contain from 50 to 100% polyester.

The increase in man-made fibers has left consumers in a quandary. "Our research clearly indicates that while consumers are concerned about microplastics pollution, they are largely unaware of the significant role their clothing can play, and they don't know what specific actions to take," Walker points out.

NCC members first became aware of plastics pollution when then-NCC Chairman Joe Nicosia addressed the topic in his annual cotton outlook speech at the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in 2024, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Nicosia, executive vice president and head of the cotton platform at Louis Dreyfus Co., has since made plastics and, particularly, microplastics a major part of the speech he gives at industry meetings around the cotton world.

At the 2025 Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, he discussed in podcasts with Jason Kelce, Taylor Swift's fiance's brother and former NFL player, about the dangers of microplastics and how natural fibers such as cotton were a safe alternative to synthetic fibers. Jason Kelce also owns a line of cotton clothing called Underdog Garment.

"Jason Kelce has a 25-minute YouTube video called 'How to Make a T-Shirt' that promotes U.S. cotton," Nicosia says. "He visits a producer, ginner and the textile processors responsible for making his Underdog Garment brand. He promotes cotton, and his family is antiplastic."

He notes U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also has a 10-point plan against plastics. "So, we need to knock on his door, connect the dots and let him know what plastic is. It's polyester."

Walker says recent discoveries about microplastics in human bodies are startling. "People inhale or ingest on average 74,000 to 121,000 microplastic particles per year. Some research suggests that individuals can accumulate nearly 200 particles per day in their lungs from inhalation."

WEBSITE OFFERS FACTS

In September 2025, the NCC launched a new website: https://plantnotplastic.org/…

The first sentence at the top of the site reads, "You have inhaled 190 particles of microplastics today."

It also includes factoids such as, "Every time synthetic clothes are washed and worn, tiny fragments called microplastics break away. These microscopic particles never disappear -- they enter waterways, our soil and become airborne, finding their way into our bodies." The website states that up to 700,000 acrylic fibers are released during a single wash cycle.

Last October, Walker traveled to Dubai to meet with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), an organization representing 44 cotton-producing countries, about the Plant Not Plastic Program. "We are taking this global because it is that important to the cotton industry," Walker says.

Meanwhile, plant breeders at Auburn University and other land-grant universities are addressing another part of the cotton versus polyester battle.

While researchers can develop more uniform and stronger varieties, they may never be on the level of polyester. However, cotton has other advantages over man-made fibers.

"For one, it's a breathable fiber, so there is an inherent comfort factor," explains Steve Hague, head of the University's Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. "Polyester also emits microplastics that persist in the environment. The more consumers learn about microplastics, the less appealing polyester will be."

He says Auburn researchers are evaluating moderate- and low-stress conditions, and the effectiveness of SNP-based QTL markers in predicting the best cotton genotypes for advancement. SNP, or single nucleotide polymorphism markers, are specific locations in a DNA sequence where variations occur. QTL, or quantitative trait locus markers, are specific DNA sequences used to identify regions of the genome associated with quantitative traits like size.

"We aim to find SNP markers for QTLs related to fiber length distribution, elongation and fineness," Hague explains. "By focusing on these particular traits, we will enhance genetic rates of gain for traits that directly impact yarn quality."

**

-- For more information, visit the Plant Not Plastic website at https://plantnotplastic.org/…

[PF_0226]

(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.