Behind the Break

Fibre fragmentation is the process of fibre loss from a textile product during its life cycle and / or through its subsequent breakage in the natural environment. Understanding fibre fragmentation is important for the fashion and textile industry because fibre loss occurs at multiple stages of a textile’s life cycle, and once released, fibre fragments can move within and between different environmental compartments. They have now been detected in almost every ecosystem on Earth — including marine and freshwater environments, terrestrial habitats, air, biota, and even within human bodies.

The project is considered a landmark study because it brought together more than ten brand, manufacturing, and research partners to generate foundational insights that can guide future work on fibre fragmentation. It was carried out in two phases; Phase 1: An 8-part workshop series with leading experts to inform a comprehensive report on the current state of fibre fragmentation across seven key pillars (including test methods, solution portfolios, toxicity, and regulation); Phase 2: An experimental study comparing existing test methods and assessing the root causes of fibre loss across three fabric archetypes using a controlled design of experiments.

The study tested a range of existing methods for assessing fibre loss into water, including gravimetric, visual, and fibre characterisation techniques, to enable comparisons. It showed that each method can serve valuable and distinct purposes depending on accessibility, the protocols used, and the level of data granularity required by the user. The study also found that overall trends were consistent across methods, meaning reliable conclusions can be drawn when comparing fabrics, and that contamination within samples was minimal.

For each fabric archetype, two to three variables were selected and tested in isolation. The results provided directional insights into how each variable affects fibre loss into water. For example, in both Cotton Knit and Polyester Knit samples, the dyeing method had a significant impact on shedding, particularly when Water Jet dyeing was used. However, the study also highlighted that a larger and more diverse sample set is needed to draw conclusive findings and fully understand how variables interact across fabric types. This underscores the complexity of providing clear recommendations for design and supply chain teams to reduce fibre shedding.

• Provided a clearer mapping of the industry’s current position on fibre fragmentation across multiple pillars, offering recommendations for future research and collaboration.
• Clarified differences between existing test methods, supporting users in selecting the most appropriate methods based on the testing purpose and data required. 
• Increased confidence in the approach and data collected in existing databases, such as the Microfibre Data Portal, currently used to identify the root causes of fibre shedding. 
• Generated insights that the industry can use to begin integrating fibre fragmentation considerations into future design and manufacturing guidelines, supply chain decision-making, and broader sustainability strategies.