Polyester clothing has been causing a stir online. But how valid are the concerns?

Workers load unwanted polyester textiles into the Project Re:Claim system, the first commercial-scale polyester recycling plant of its kind, on February 28, 2025 in Kettering, England.

There has been a lot of conversation on social media about the downsides of polyester. But are those downsides as bad as they're believed to be? Are there upsides?

(Image credit: Leon Neal)