It ain't fashion, if it ain't sustainable

Isabela State University

Microfibre Pollution / Washing

30 October 2023

4 minutes

demonstrated that the structure of the textiles had a more pronounced effect on fibre shedding than the type of fibre itself. Fibre type had no significant influence on shedding. Notably, woven textiles shed fewer fibres compared to their knitted counterparts.

Doing Laundry by Hand Sheds Just As Many Microfibres As Machine Washing

A new research shows that washing clothing by hand can shed just as many microfibres as laundry washed in a machine and resolving this pollution problem requires changes in how textiles are designed, manufactured and traded on a global scale.

By

Deirdre McKay
Kelly Sheridan
Thomas Stanton

Analysis

Young India Fashion Survey 2025

Textile Recycling Expo

ITF Intertex Portugal 2025

Most Popular

Tariffs and Seconds / SMART View Interview

If unfair trade barriers persist, there's the risk of seeing mountains of usable clothing pile up in the US, while markets abroad fill the gap with cheap, low-quality fast fashion that often results in more waste, not less. Keeping the second-hand clothing trade flowing freely is in everyone’s best interest: economically, socially, and environmentally. This is a moment to build smarter, fairer, and more circular global systems, not to shut them down.

Trade Barriers on Second-Hand Clothing Disrupt a Globally Significant Reverse Supply Chain

Subir Ghosh

24 April 2025

Product Impact / New Study Report

Understanding that the environmental crisis is more than just carbon emissions will ensure that as companies work to reduce their carbon footprint, they are aware of how their business impacts the environment on other fronts. Failure to do so risks shifting impact from one category to another unknowingly.

Raw Materials and Manufacturing Account for 90% of Fashion Product’s Environmental Footprint

Special Correspondent

25 April 2025