The first study into the environmental impacts of counterfeit football shirts is now under way, examining whether counterfeit kits shed higher levels of microplastic fibres during everyday use than genuine kits. The Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth is leading the project, funded by UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), to address a major evidence gap around the hidden environmental consequences of counterfeit goods.
- The project will also examine how counterfeit shirts are disposed of and their contribution to the wider problem of textile waste.
- Researchers will carry out an integrated environmental assessment measuring the energy and carbon impact of each product across its life cycle.
- Alongside the environmental assessment, the project will identify which messages are most effective at discouraging consumers from buying counterfeit products.
CLOSING THE GAP: The social harms of counterfeit markets, including the exploitation of workers by organised criminal networks, are increasingly well documented, but their environmental impacts remain poorly understood. Researchers say claims that counterfeit goods are more harmful to the environment have rarely been supported by robust scientific evidence. The findings will give policymakers, environmental organisations and brands evidence to shape future enforcement, public awareness campaigns and demand reduction strategies for counterfeit goods.
- Textile waste is a growing environmental challenge, and the contribution of counterfeit clothing to it is often overlooked, with counterfeit garments potentially playing a much larger role than currently recognised.
- Public scepticism toward such claims often stems from the fact that they come from organisations with a commercial interest in selling authentic products.
- The project's aim is to generate independent, scientific evidence that is credible and trusted by both industry and the public.
- Its outputs will include a full report for UKIPO, an academic publication and a stakeholder workshop to share the findings.
- It launched at a time when demand for football shirts, both authentic and counterfeit, had peaked around the FIFA World Cup.
THE POLLUTION PATHWAY: Concern over the environmental and health impacts of microplastics generally has been growing, and the textile industry is understood to be a significant source of this pollution. Synthetic garments shed microplastic fibres during manufacturing, everyday wear and, most notably, laundering, adding to the wider volume of microplastics entering the environment from textile production and use.
- Many of these fibres are too small to be fully captured by wastewater treatment systems.
- As a result, these fibres go on to enter aquatic environments and agricultural soils, where microplastic pollution from textile products spreads further into the wider natural environment.
WHAT THEY SAID
Over time, these microplastics accumulate in the environment, posing risks to wildlife and human health. This study will explore whether there are measurable differences in microplastic shedding between counterfeit and genuine football shirts, providing new insight into the environmental impacts of sportswear production.
— Felicity Webster
Research Associate, Revolution Plastics Institute
University of Portsmouth
