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ChessCheeseAlpha t1_jcabwv8 wrote

Dupont owes the world an explanation and reparations

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RRoyale57 t1_jcag1of wrote

DuPont invented polyester and it’s in everything!!!! It’s literally polyethylene that’s made to feel like cotton but it’s plastic! That nice super plush blanket you have is most likely made of 100% polyester. Now go cuddle up with it for 8 hours. Then wake up and put on clothing that contains it too. It’s everywhere!

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KahuTheKiwi t1_jcc9b4l wrote

Along with the pollution and micro fibre threats it also affects fire safety. For instance I have read that in the 1950s average time to flashover (when enough heat is generated from a fire to spontaneously ignite other objects) was 25 minutes. And it is now 15. This is due to the amount of oil in a modern house - carpets, furniture, clothing, etc being made of oil products; polyester, plastic, etc, as opposed to the slower to ignite products like wool, wood, etc.

Ironically cars and resulting congestion means that for the city I heard this discussed about (Auckland, New Zealand), in the 1950 a fire engine could reach any house in 15 mi utes but it is now up to 30 minutes at times of the day.

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