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

University of Leeds

Climate Action / Future Fibres

23 May 2024

2 minutes

The FFN+ consortium is uniquely placed to address the complexity of environmental challenges by operating across established networks of expertise spanning environment, design, STEM, humanities capability across academic, industry, public and private organisations, communities and networks.

New Research-Driven UK Network to Establish Systematic, Circular and Sustainable Principles as Norm in Fashion Industry

A new entity, FFN+ or the Future Fibres Network Plus, comprising 5 universities in the UK, was launched Wednesday to support the decarbonisation of the fashion and textile industry.

Staff Writer

Microfibre Pollution / New Findings

9 April 2024

2 minutes

Comparison of yarn hairiness for yarns of the same linear density (30 tex) and different spinning systems (ring or vortex). (A) PET-30-ring and (B) PET-30-vortex (images taken before laundering).

Manufacturing Choices Influence Microfibre Release in Textiles, Says New Research

There is an urgent need to specify the fabric knitting and yarn spinning systems as fibre composition and the yarn spinning system could play a major role in reducing microfibre release, says a new research.

Staff Writer

Microfibre Pollution / Fragmentation Test

6 November 2023

2 minutes

Over 40 delegates to the Textile Exchange conference embarked on a field trip to King's College London, where they were shown the TMC Test Method in action by PhD student Alice Hazlehurst. The TMC Test Method utilises James Heal’s Gyrowash to assist in measuring microfibres released from simulated domestic laundering.

First Public Demonstration of Fibre Fragmentation Test Held in UK

The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) along with specialist test instrument manufacturer James Heal conducted the first public demonstration of a test method for fibre fragmentation from fabric.

Staff Writer

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.

Deirdre McKay
Kelly Sheridan
Thomas Stanton

Analysis

Going Circular / UK Initiative

7 September 2023

3 minutes

The fashion industry is a very significant part of the UK economy, contributing £29 billion to the UK gross domestic product. However, it is estimated that the consumption of new clothes in the UK is higher than any other European country.

UK Fashion Goes Big on Circularity to Drive Industrial Scale Change

Key industry stakeholders have launched the Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) for an action-led roadmap to accelerate the UK to a leading circular fashion economy.

Special Correspondent

Climate Action / Decarbonisation

15 August 2023

3 minutes

The vision is to embed environmental sciences at the heart of the fashion and textiles sector. Building the Future Fibres Network is a first step towards transforming the fashion industry towards a new, low carbon future.

New £1.6 million UK Project to Drive Decarbonisation in Fashion and Textiles

Future Fibres Network+, a £1.6million forward-thinking project, aims to embed environmental sciences at the heart of the fashion and textiles sector, and steer the industry towards a new, low carbon future.

Staff Writer

Durable Fashion / UK Study

24 July 2023

4 minutes

The research concluded that the retail price of a new garment cannot be used as an indicator to identify good or inferior durability, and that the durability of both high and low-priced garments ranged from excellent to very poor across the different clothing categories and across women’s and menswear.

Price Not an Indicator for Apparel Durability, Concludes UK Study

As critical actions to make fashion industry more sustainable gains momentum, a study by the University of Leeds has declared that although durability can be measured to identify the most and the least durable garments, retail price cannot be used to predict which garment will last longer.

Staff Writer

Country Overview / United Kingdom

13 July 2023

5 minutes

According to the report—Impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on the UK Fashion and Textiles Technology Ecosystem—the COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting financial impacts owing to the closures of businesses on the high street and the initial closure of factories during the first lock downs.

Fallout of Brexit and COVID: UK Businesses Have Suffered Immensely; Innovation and Sustainability Now Key Drivers

A new report that examines the impact of Brexit and COVID-19 on the fashion, textile and technology ecosystem in the UK, offers five key recommendations to support future growth.

Special Correspondent

Microfibre Pollution / UK Laundering

8 February 2023

2 minutes

The researchers estimated that annual microfibre release from the UK's washing was between 6,860 and 17,847 tonnes. That's the equivalent of around 600-1,500 double-decker buses.

Laundry Washing in UK Releases 17,847 tonnes of Microfibres Every Year

Researchers have found that the annual release of 6,860–17,847 tonnes of microfibre from UK's washing is a relatively small problem in comparison to the fashion industry's waste problem, with 365,000 tonnes of clothing going to landfill every year.

Staff Writer