Is it safe to wear clothes made from recycled plastic bottles?

What's actually in it

When you wear clothing made from recycled plastic bottles, you are wearing processed waste. A 2026 study in Sci Total Environ found that recycled plastic pellets used to create these fibers contain phthalates (chemicals used to soften plastic) and organophosphates (chemicals often used as flame retardants or plasticizers).

These chemicals don't just stay inside the fabric. Because the plastic is broken down and reformed into fibers, these additives can be released from the material while you wear it. You are essentially wrapping your skin in a material that was never designed to be worn, but rather to hold liquids.

What the research says

Beyond the chemical additives, there is the issue of physical pollution. A 2026 study in Environ Sci Technol confirmed that mechanically recycled textiles are a clear source of microplastic fiber emissions. As you move, wash, and wear these clothes, the fabric sheds tiny plastic particles into the air and water.

This research highlights that the recycling process itself creates a material prone to shedding. While the industry markets these clothes as a sustainable solution to plastic waste, the science shows they are simply moving plastic from a bottle into your laundry and onto your skin.