A consortium of major fashion brands and industry organisations, including Fashion for Good and The Microfibre Consortium, has initiated a project to investigate the underlying causes of fibre fragmentation in textiles. Titled “Behind the Break: Exploring Fibre Fragmentation,” the research aims to address data gaps and validate testing methods to better understand and mitigate microfibre pollution.
The project brings together brands like Adidas, Bestseller, C&A, Inditex, Kering, Levi Strauss & Co., Norrona, ON, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials, and Under Armour, with testing to be conducted in laboratories at Paradise Textiles, Under Armour, and Northumbria University’s IMPACT+ Network. The research will focus on analyzing fibre fragmentation in cotton knit, cotton woven, and polyester knit fabrics.
The initiative acknowledges that while current mitigation efforts largely focus on capturing microfibres downstream, there’s a critical need to understand the root causes of fragmentation at the manufacturing level. To this end, a new report has been released outlining the issue of fibre fragmentation, including definitions, sources, root causes, testing methods, and potential solutions.
“Behind the Break” will specifically investigate how manufacturing processes, such as different dye methods, influence fibre fragmentation. The project also aims to validate and refine testing techniques, strengthen data correlation across methods, and address limitations in current methodologies. By doing so, the project intends to provide stakeholders with practical strategies to reduce fragmentation through improved design and manufacturing practices, and to inform future regulations and policies.
The collaboration emphasises the importance of a unified, science-led approach to tackling microfibre pollution. The project partners aim to generate data-driven insights to improve processes, product design, and sourcing practices, contributing to a more sustainable textile industry.
