Fiber Research Center Hub studies environmental impact on microfiber detachment

The University of the United Kingdom of Northumbria in Newcastle has established the FIBRE Fragmentation and Environment Research Hub (Fiber Hub), a laboratory that will focus on studying the environmental impact of the loss of microfibers in textiles.

The project is the result of a collaboration between the University of Northumbria and the Microfiber Consortium (TMC). The consortium was created in 2018 by textile companies, scientific researchers and environmental experts. Its objective is to establish standardized test protocols to quantify and evaluate the release of textile microfibers.

The Fiber Huba role will be thoroughly testing a wide variety of fabrics to determine the level of microfiber loss under different conditions and the resulting environmental impact. An aspect that is ready to complement the current research, which until now has focused on spilled fibers during clothing washing.

Fiber Hub was created as part of the Impact+project, launched in 2023 with the support of labels such as Asos and Barbour, and funded by universities and research organizations from the United Kingdom. The impact approach+ is to try to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion and textile sector.

“This strategic association reflects the main objective of the Impact+ network by focusing on microfibers as a careless and unreasonable environmental pollutant,” said Dr. Alana James, Fiber Hub principal researcher. “Interdisciplinary collaboration with environmental design and science will allow our research to reduce fiber detachment in the root cause, while implementing these ideas directly within an industry environment,” he added.

The problem of microfiber detachment was identified some time ago. In 2011, environmental science and technology Journal estimated that 1.5 million tons were discarded every year. According to Ochean Wise NGOs, 35% of microplastics in the oceans come directly from textiles.