FAQ’s           

The Problem with Fibre Fragments

  • Fibre fragments are any processed* fibrous material broken from a textile structure during production, use, end-of-use, as well as through its subsequent breakage in the natural environment. 

    *Processed is intended to encompass fibres that have undergone any form of mechanical or chemical processing. This includes natural fibres that are no longer in their raw, unprocessed state as found in the environment, as well as Man-Made fibres derived from synthetic and natural polymers. 

    More key definitions can be found in our glossary of terms.

  • Fibre fragments from textiles are recognised as widespread pollutants with proven impact on the environment. There is also concern over the effect of fibre fragments on human health, biodiversity loss and climate change. 

    An introductory webinar to the issue hosted by TMC can be found here.  

The Microfibre Consortium

  • The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) is a science-led non-profit leading the Microfibre 2030 Commitment and Roadmap. TMC works to mitigate fibre fragment loss and release from all textiles to the natural environment, through global multi-stakeholder collaboration. It is the first and only organisation whole-heartedly focused on this topic. 

  • Since 2018, TMC has worked to connect and translate deep academic research with the reality of commercial supply chain production. Driven by research, with industry change at its core, TMC addresses fibre fragmentation through interventions in textile design, development and manufacturing, taking a holistic approach in creating change for the lifecycle of textiles.

  • The Microfibre Consortium welcomes participation from the breadth and diversity of the textile value chain, research community and policymakers. There is a role for everyone and active, industry-wide engagement is needed to address this multi-faceted challenge and  transform textile production for the greater good of our ecosystems.

  • Our core funding is received from signatory fees, which enables TMC to finance its team and primary operations, as well as foundational research enquiries. To reach our ambitious roadmap milestones the organisation is actively seeking additional funding. If your organisation would like to explore a possible funding collaboration with TMC, please contact us.

Becoming a Signatory

  • The Microfibre 2030 Commitment forms a common ambition shared with our community of signatories, to work towards zero impact from fibre fragmentation from textiles to the natural environment by 2030. The Microfibre Roadmap sets the pace of activity and the specific steps required for working on the commitment. It details the path forward and sets out clear milestones against three inter-related pillars: aligning the sector, understanding fragmentation and mitigating fragmentation.

  • Signatories commit to work towards zero impact from fibre fragmentation from textiles to the natural environment by 2030.  In addition, they are expected to meet their minimum testing contribution. This means that they need to test a number of fabrics from their material portfolio each year and report the results to the Microfibre Data Portal. This work is designed to close the knowledge gap, identify the root causes of fibre fragmentation and contribute to the development of practical solutions for product design and manufacturing. 

    In addition, signatories are expected to contribute to the work of TMC in kind and financially (if applicable), and are encouraged to share best practice guidance within their organisations and supply chains.

  • Signatories gain access to resources such as in-house research, monthly literature reviews, guest seminars, policy support, e-learning courses, dashboard reports to contextualise test results, and more. There are also many opportunities for signatory learning and development. For example; participation in topic task teams focusing on research priority areas, development of case studies to enable signatory-to-signatory learning and providing input to help shape industry resources.

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  • We are always welcoming new signatories who seek to put fibre fragmentation high on their agenda. Organisations within our current signatory base span from luxury to workwear, high-street to homewares, laboratories to manufacturers, large or small. This collective community provides diversity of both perspectives and test data. Read our progress report to hear from the organisations taking part.  

  • We encourage stakeholders across the entire textile value chain including; brands, retailers and textile manufacturers to embed fibre fragmentation as an integral part of broader sustainability and more focused material strategies. We provide recommended actions on how to bring this into such strategies in our ‘triple planetary impact positioning statement’ here.

  • Our resources page is a good place to start! Here we have a wide range of reports, webinar recordings, guidelines and more. By signing up to our newsletter, you can also stay up to date with any new resource or events hosted by TMC. 

  • Yes, the signatory fee is tiered based on annual organisational turnover. Research signatories and affiliates are not providing financial contribution. You can find out more here: https://www.microfibreconsortium.com/the-community

  • No, testing is not included in the signatory fee. Test prices are set by accredited commercial laboratories. Testing costs may vary. We recommend contacting your laboratory of choice for a quote.

The TMC Test Method

  • The TMC Test Method is a method developed by The Microfibre Consortium in collaboration with the University of Leeds and the European Outdoor Group in 2017. The test method measures fibre loss by weight by simulating domestic laundering. 

  • The TMC Test Method uses gravimetric analysis to measure the fibre loss by weight, offering clear insights into the shedding behaviour of fabrics. It does not characterise fibre composition, morphology, or the presence of other contaminants. You can read more about the TMC Test Method here.

  • The TMC Test Method has similarities to both ISO 4484-1 and AATCC TM 212, however, the TMC Test Method does not use the addition of laundry detergent.

  • Testing for fibre fragmentation enables organisations to understand the shedding behaviour of specific fabrics, to identify the fabric characteristics contributing to high-shedding and ultimately, target development to create fabrics with reduced shedding rates. If results are also uploaded to The Microfibre Data Portal, this enables research analysis within an industry-wide dataset to better understanding the root causes of fibre fragmentation, which is crucial for enabling the development of effective interventions within textile design and manufacturing.

  • Contact one or more of TMC accredited laboratories worldwide, such as the UK, France, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Thailand and Bangladesh. For the full list, see here. Testing can also be completed in-house, if accredited to complete the TMC Test Method. To become accredited, please contact us for further details. 

  • All fabrics types, compositions and structures can be tested for fibre fragmentation. The TMC team can provide support to signatories to develop a focused testing strategy if needed. 

  • Yes. However, viewed in isolation testing results can be difficult to contextualise. It can be challenging to understand from individual results how a fabric is performing in regard to average shedding rates. 

The Microfibre Data Portal

  • The Microfibre Data Portal is the largest database on fibre fragmentation globally.

  • Only signatories to the Microfibre 2030 Commitment have the ability to upload test results to the Microfibre Data Portal and benefit from a comparative analysis.

  • The fibre fragmentation test data is uploaded to The Microfibre Data Portal along with detailed specifications of the fabric being tested. Over 50 manufacturing variables are recorded for each fabric during this process. The variables recorded span the entire fabric production process, including fibre composition, yarn and fabric structure details, colouration methods and any mechanical and chemical finishes. 

  • Data can only be uploaded to The Microfibre Data Portal when fabric technical specifications are provided and the TMC Test Method (or other specified, aligned methods) is performed at an accredited laboratory. Material specification information is uploaded to The Microfibre Data Portal by signatories and test results are uploaded by the accredited laboratory technician performing the test. This ensures data quality and consistency and prevents data manipulation. 

  • No, the dataset should not be assumed to be representative of fabrics being used by signatories today but can be considered a sampling of contemporary fabrics in use or in development covering a broad range of material compositions, constructions, dye methods and finishing processes. As the dataset evolves over time, the composition of the dataset will inevitably change with it. We share more information on the current dataset in our Annual Data Portal Insights report here.

Testing Requirements for signatories

  • Signatories must test a minimum of 5-10 fabrics per year. Results are uploaded to the Microfibre Data Portal alongside detailed fabric specification information. To maximise insights gathered, many signatories test beyond this minimum number.  

  • The Microfibre Data Portal accepts TMC Test Method, ISO 4484-1 and AATCC TM 212 test method results. 

  • Test results are anonymised and held confidentially in the Microfibre Data Portal. The TMC research team then conduct data analysis on the entire dataset, in order to determine the root causes of fibre fragmentation from fabrics. 

  • The laboratory will provide a copy of the results and TMC will provide a dashboard report upon request, to contextualise your fabric shedding results with other tested industry fabrics. There is also an option to filter data through advanced analytics, enabling granular and tailored interrogation of data. 

Fibre Fragmentation Policy

  • As awareness of the extent of fibre fragment pollution grows, policymakers are under increasing pressure to take action. To date, regulatory efforts have largely targeted plastic pollution and, by extension, microplastics across various industries. However, recent research has expanded its focus to include fibre fragments from the fashion industry, broadening the scope beyond synthetics to all fibre types. 

  • The Microfibre Consortium Policy Committee (composed of predominantly brands, retailers and laboratories) is playing a role by leveraging scientific expertise to provide policymakers with comprehensive insights into the broader impacts of fibre fragmentation, ensuring that policy decisions are based on a thorough understanding of the science.