Acrylic Knit Jumper
400g jumper, 100% acrylic
Acrylic is the cheap stand-in for wool and the heaviest microfibre shedder of the common knit fibres. It pills fast, which is why so many acrylic jumpers last a single season.
Material breakdown
3 components- Acrylic fibre394g
- Polyester thread4g
- Label2g
Production footprint
Per unitEstimated upstream manufacturing footprint per unit, based on resin LCA averages.
Lower-impact alternatives
- Lambswool jumperLasts years, biodegrades, no plastic fibre.0gplastic
- Cotton knitPlant fibre, no shedding, easy to repair.0gplastic
- Second-hand wool knitBest value per wear and zero new production.0gplastic
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References for this item
Peer-reviewed studies and institutional reports behind the figures above.
- Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions ↗Napper, I. E. & Thompson, R. C. (2016) · Marine Pollution Bulletin, 112(1–2), 39–45
Shows acrylic sheds the most fibres per wash, ahead of polyester and poly-cotton. Source for our acrylic and fleece shedding claims.
- Environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling – A review ↗Sandin, G. & Peters, G. M. (2018) · Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 353–365
Reviews 41 studies on textile reuse and recycling; shows reuse consistently beats recycling, and blended fabrics are rarely recycled fibre-to-fibre. Backs our low recycling odds for blends.
- Textiles and the environment: the role of design in Europe's circular economy ↗European Environment Agency (2022) · EEA Briefing
EU-level per-person consumption, water and land use of textiles, and the design decisions that drive them.