Textiles and the fashion industry have been cited as the leading sources of microfibre pollution in the environment, according to a draft report to the US Congress prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC).
The mandate: The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 requires the IMDCC to complete a report on microfibre pollution. This report will provide Congress with an overview of the microfibre pollution issue, while also outlining a path forward for Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, to address this problem.
- Public comments are being invited till 17 October.
The report: The NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the EPA’s Trash Free Waters Program co-led the development of this 90-page report on behalf of the IMDCC, with support from the consulting firm, Materevolve.
- Section 2 of the report has proposed an initial definition of microfibre that can serve as a starting point for building consensus around a standard definition that could be adopted by the United States Government.
- The report has also said that additional research is needed to improve the understanding of microfibre sources, pathways, fates, and impacts so that effective mitigation strategies and prevention measures can be developed.
- Microfibres are a highly complex and diverse type of contaminant and research on the subject is particularly challenging due to a lack of standard definitions and research methods, which make comparisons across studies difficult, the report said.
The recommendations: One potential way to reduce fibre shedding from textiles is to design and construct textiles that shed fewer or no fibres. This solution requires a better understanding of how microfibre release is influenced by various textile characteristics, including fibre polymer type, yarn and textile construction, dyes and finishes, fabric or garment mechanical or chemical processing, fabric cutting and sewing methods, and ageing characteristics.
- Standardised test methods for determining shedding (or fibre release) via laundering, drying, and general wear would be helpful in furthering this research and paving the way for the design and labeling of low-shedding textiles.
- Reusing and recycling textiles can have the positive effects of reducing the amount of textile waste that is landfilled or incinerated and reducing the social and environmental impacts associated with the extraction of raw materials and manufacturing of new products. However, more research is needed to assess the viability of textile reuse and recycling as solutions to microfibre pollution.
- Because washing machines have been identified as important pathways for microfibre pollution, they have been the focus of many efforts to address the problem. These efforts can be grouped into two main categories: 1) developing best practices for washing clothes in a way that minimises microfibre shedding and 2) developing technologies to capture microfibres shed in washing machines and prevent them from entering wastewater streams.
Setting the goals: The report has set give goals:
- Conduct, fund, and support research to address the most critical research needs related to microfibre pollution: Our ability to address the problem of microfibre pollution is limited by a significant lack of knowledge regarding the sources, pathways, and impacts of microfibre pollution. This goal focuses on addressing these critical research gaps.
- Prevent and reduce microfibre pollution from textiles and other sources from entering the natural environment: Microfibres in the environment come from a wide range of products made from synthetic, semi-synthetic, and modified natural fibres, including textiles, carpets, wet wipes, cigarette filters, fishing gear, and others. This goal focuses on upstream solutions to microfibre pollution that aim to reduce microfibre shedding from known major sources or reduce the prevalence of microfibre sources themselves.
- Capture microfibres in major microfibre pollution pathways: A microfibre pollution pathway or conveyance refers to the physical environmental compartment or engineered route through which microfibres released from sources enter the natural environment, including natural pathways (rivers, streams, and transport via atmospheric circulation) and engineered pathways (wastewater systems and stormwater systems). This goal focuses on downstream solutions to microfibre pollution that aim to capture and remove microfibres shed from textiles and other sources.
- Minimise toxicological hazards associated with microfibre pollution: Though research confirms that humans and a diverse range of aquatic and terrestrial organisms are currently exposed to microfibre pollution, the impacts of microfibre pollution on environmental and human health are largely unknown. This goal focuses on developing a better understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological hazards associated with microfibres (including the chemical additives they may contain, as well as the contaminants they may have absorbed from the environment) and taking steps to minimise the use of materials and chemicals that are known to be most toxic.
- Coordinate and share microfibre pollution accomplishments, best practices, and science: Strategic coordination and communication between government agencies, and with other stakeholders, including the textile industry, other relevant industries, and the public will be essential to make this Plan a success. This goal focuses on ways the government can track progress on the Plan and engage with stakeholders to share knowledge and disseminate research findings, best practices, and solutions to reduce microfibre pollution.
