Do waterproof jacket coatings shed microplastics when you wash them?
Yes. Low-friction waterproof coatings shed fewer microplastic fibers themselves, but cause nearby uncoated fabrics in the same wash to shed more. Net result: more microplastics in your wastewater.
What's actually in it
Waterproof and water-resistant jackets are typically coated with durable water repellent (DWR) treatments. Many DWR coatings are fluoropolymers, a type of PFAS. Some newer versions use non-fluorinated alternatives.
Either way, these coatings give the fabric a low-friction surface. When you wash the jacket, the fibers slide against each other differently than uncoated fabric. That changes how many microplastic fibers break off.
What the research says
A 2026 study in ACS Environ Au tested what happens when coated and uncoated textiles are laundered together. The coated garments shed fewer fibers themselves, but the low-friction surface caused the uncoated fabrics in the same wash load to shed more fibers than they would on their own.
The result is a net increase in total microplastic fiber release when you mix waterproof and regular clothes in one wash. These fibers pass through most washing machine filters, enter wastewater, and eventually end up in drinking water and food.
Washing synthetic and waterproof items separately, using a microplastic-catching laundry bag or filter, and washing on cold with low spin speed all help reduce total fiber shed.
The research at a glance
| Study | Journal | Year |
|---|---|---|
| How Low-Friction Coatings Affect Microplastic Fiber Release When Laundering Coated and Uncoated Textiles Together | ACS Environ Au | 2026 |
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