The term “micro-fragments” is used to encompass all emissions, whether microfibres released by textiles or microparticles generated by footwear abrasion — whether of synthetic, man-made or natural origin.
While the scientific literature has focused predominantly on emissions during the use phase, particularly during washing, end-of-life stages remain a significant blind spot, even though public policy is strongly steering the sector towards circularity.
What the study reveals
The findings highlight several key observations:
- Micro-fragment emissions occur at every stage of recycling processes (cutting, unravelling, grinding, garneting), but their quantification remains highly uncertain.
- Textile ageing under real-life wearing conditions is almost unexplored in the existing literature.
- Chemical recycling appears to be the least impactful route, as the fibres produced are assumed to be of equivalent quality to virgin fibres.
- Footwear, and soles in particular, remain the major blind spot in current research.
This report does not call into question the overall environmental benefits of circularity, but it does call for a better characterisation of its impacts in terms of micro-fragment emissions.
This notably implies:
- Prioritising studies on mechanical recycling and ageing under real-life wearing conditions.
- Developing standardised measurement protocols covering all receiving environments (water, air and soil).
- Filling the specific gaps relating to footwear, which remains almost absent from the literature.
- Raising awareness and training stakeholders in the downstream sector on micro-fragment issues and best practices to limit them.
- Fostering partnerships between researchers, industry players and public authorities to share knowledge and co-build solutions.