PlastfriThe scoring table
Every material, scored in the open.
These are the exact weights the extension uses. Petroleum synthetics score 100 because they are plastic. Cellulosic semi-synthetics score near zero because they biodegrade — a small weight acknowledges their processing. Naturals score zero. A product's score is the percentage-weighted average of its fibers.
| Material | Class | What it is | Plastic score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polyester | Petro-synthetic | The world’s most-worn plastic. Made from PET — the same polymer as soda bottles. | |
| Nylon (Polyamide) | Petro-synthetic | The original synthetic fiber, spun from crude-oil-derived polyamide. | |
| Acrylic | Petro-synthetic | Plastic wool. One of the heaviest microplastic shedders per wash. | |
| Elastane (Spandex) | Petro-synthetic | The stretch in your stretch. Polyurethane-based, in nearly everything fitted. | |
| Polyurethane (PU) | Petro-synthetic | The plastic behind most “vegan leather”. | |
| PVC (Vinyl) | Petro-synthetic | Polyvinyl chloride — the most environmentally contentious plastic in fashion. | |
| Polypropylene | Petro-synthetic | Common in thermal layers, rugs, and reusable bags. | |
| Microfiber | Petro-synthetic | Ultra-fine polyester/nylon. Sheds by design. | |
| Fleece | Petro-synthetic | Almost always polyester. A single wash can release hundreds of thousands of fibers. | |
| Faux leather | Petro-synthetic | PU or PVC film on a fabric backing. Plastic, whatever the marketing says. | |
| Recycled polyester (rPET) | Petro-synthetic | Better feedstock, same fiber — still sheds microplastics. | |
| Acetate | Semi-synthetic | A cellulose-based bioplastic. Half-and-half by our scoring. | |
| Viscose (Rayon) | Semi-synthetic | Plant cellulose, heavily processed. Not petro-plastic; biodegrades. | |
| Modal | Semi-synthetic | Beech-pulp cellulosic. Softer viscose, similar footprint. | |
| Lyocell (Tencel) | Semi-synthetic | Closed-loop cellulosic. The cleanest of the semi-synthetics. | |
| Cotton | Natural | Zero plastic. Water-hungry, but fully biodegradable. | |
| Wool | Natural | Zero plastic, naturally technical — warm, breathable, odor-resistant. | |
| Linen | Natural | Flax fiber. One of the lowest-impact fabrics ever made. | |
| Silk | Natural | Protein fiber. Zero plastic. | |
| Hemp | Natural | Grows without irrigation or pesticides. Zero plastic. | |
| Leather | Natural | No plastic — though tanning chemistry varies widely. | |
| Down | Natural | Nature’s insulation. Usually wrapped in a synthetic shell — check the composition. |
Disagree with a weight? The scoring is deliberately simple enough to argue with — that's the point. Blends are averaged by listed percentage; multi-component garments (shell / lining / filling) average their components.