Microplastics
Penalty 100/100 - weighted impact 45
Acrylic is recorded as Synthetic and tied to Polyacrylonitrile, which drives the material's microplastics score pressure.
Synthetic
Polyacrylonitrile
Acrylic clothing: health and sustainability score
A synthetic fiber made from petroleum. Not biodegradable and energy-intensive to produce, but can be recycled in some systems.
Score drivers
Greener Closet scores materials from several penalty inputs. The same material can be reasonable in one product and weak in another, but these are the default drivers behind the base material record.
Very high concern
PFAS uncertainty
Penalty 80/100 - weighted impact 12
Acrylic receives a PFAS uncertainty penalty because performance synthetics and finish-dependent uses can make PFAS claims harder to verify from a label alone.
Half-life and biodegradability
Penalty 100/100 - weighted impact 15
Acrylic is treated as slow to break down, so half-life and biodegradability are major sustainability concerns.
Fiber shedding
Penalty 80/100 - weighted impact 4
Acrylic can shed fibers during wear and washing; the MaterialsDB shedding penalty captures that release risk.
Manufacturing energy
Penalty 85/100 - weighted impact 8.5
Acrylic carries a manufacturing-energy penalty, so production impacts remain part of the score even when microplastic risk is low.
Safer alternatives to consider
Wool
The natural fiber acrylic is most often substituted for in sweaters and knits; no recorded microplastic source.
Organic Cotton
A plant-fiber option for lighter-weight knits where wool feels too warm.
Recycled Polyester
Still synthetic, but reduces virgin petroleum demand compared with virgin acrylic.
Best next step
Paste the full fabric label into the homepage checker. A 95% cotton, 5% elastane garment will not score the same as 100% cotton, and the checker handles those percentages.
Use the material-label checkerRelated scored products
20 visible scored products include Acrylic.
Sweater
Brand: H&M
58/100
Women'sSweaters
Cable-Knit Cardigan
Brand: H&M
58/100
Women'sSweaters
Winterfall Jumper Cloud Cream
Brand: Indigo Luna
51/100
Women'sSweaters
Relaxed Plaid Jacket
Brand: Anthropologie
44/100
Women'sJackets
HEATTECH Fleece T-Shirt | Turtleneck
Brand: Uniqlo
29/100
Women'sShirts
Short Sleeve Loose Tunic Tops
Brand: Dokotoo
28/100
Women'sSweaters
Arach&Cloz Women's Wool Blend Loose Fit Soft Summer Sweater Short Sleeve Crew Neck Casual Pullover Tops Trendy Outfits 2025
Brand: Arach&Cloz
26/100
Women'sSweaters
The Mariel Longline Cardigan Sweater
Brand: Anthropologie
25/100
Women'sSweaters
Common questions
Does Acrylic clothing shed microplastics?
Acrylic is associated with Polyacrylonitrile, so Greener Closet treats it as a microplastic-shedding concern.
Is Acrylic biodegradable?
Acrylic carries a half-life penalty in MaterialsDB, meaning persistence and biodegradability are important concerns.
How should I check a Acrylic blend?
Use the Greener Closet material-label checker with the full percentage label, because blends can change the final score even when Acrylic is only one part of the garment.