Microfiber - Environmental and Safety Issues

Environmental and Safety Issues

Microfiber textiles tend to be flammable and emit toxic gases when burning. They are made with synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon which are made from petrochemicals. Microfibers are not made from a renewable resource and are not biodegradable. However, if made out of polypropylene, they are 100% recyclable (Prolen).

For most cleaning applications they are designed for repeated use rather than being discarded after use (an exception is the precise cleaning of optical components where a 'wet' cloth is drawn once across the object and must not be used again as the debris collected and now embedded in the cloth may scratch the optical surface). In many household cleaning applications (washing floors, furniture, etc.) microfiber cleaning fabrics can be used without detergents or cleaning solutions which would otherwise be needed.

There are environmental concerns about this product entering the oceanic food chain. However, no pesticides are used for producing synthetic fibres (in comparison to cotton). If these products are made of polypropylene yarn, the yarn is dope-dyed, i.e. no water is used for dyeing (as with cotton, where thousands of litres of water become contaminated)