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Institution of Mechanical Engineers calls
for urgent action to prevent the 6 million microfibres released
from a typical 5kg wash load of polyester fabrics from
polluting our oceans
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Report recommends key actions including
incentivising the development of more environmentally friendly
fibres
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Manufacturers and retailers need to
tackle waste, including huge amounts of clothing going to
landfill every year
Each time an item of clothing is washed up to 700,000
microscopic fibres make their way into our oceans, where they are
swallowed by sea life and become incorporated into the food
chain, potentially ending up on our plates, according to a new
report by the Institution of Mechanical
Engineers.
The report highlights that garment aftercare affects
an item’s carbon footprint and advocates for individuals to wash
their clothes at a lower temperature, use mesh laundry bags to
catch threads, rely on tumble dryers less often or install
filters on washing machine waste pipes.
Engineering Out Fashion
Waste also highlights the extent to which
fashion is a thirsty industry, one which contributes
significantly to water pollution globally. It is also is
energy-intensive, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent
(CO2e) in 2015 – more emissions than international flights and
maritime shipping combined.
The Institution calls for urgent action to tackle the
waste produced over the lifecycle of an item of clothing. This
includes addressing water-intensive processes during
manufacturing, such as removing excess dyes, and tackling the
problem of disposing of a garment at the end of its life;
three-fifths of all clothing produced is sent to landfill or
incinerated within a year of being made.
Aurelie Hulse, lead author of Engineering
Out Fashion Waste, said:
“We need to build on existing industry initiatives
and fundamentally rethink the way clothes are manufactured, right
down to the fibres that are used. Garments should be created so
they don’t fall apart at the seams and so that they can be
recycled after they have been worn for many years. Fabrics should
be designed not to shed microfibres when washed and industry
needs look at how efficiencies can be made in the cutting
process, which currently sees 60bn m2 of cut-off material
discarded on factory floors each year.”
Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Engineering at the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said:
“The garment industry is one of many industries that
has a threefold impact with emissions to air, water, and
large amounts of waste produced for landfill and incineration.
This means that to begin to create a sustainable fashion industry
we need to address all of these areas and engineers are producing
solutions that range from greater efficiency in machinery and
water use to new materials with reduced
shedding.
“Given that it has been estimated that there are 20
new garments manufactured per person each year and that consumers
are buying 60% more than in 2000, these environmental
implications must be addressed as a matter of
urgency.”
Engineering Out Fashion
waste recommends three priority areas for
action:
1. The UK Government,
in collaboration with the fashion industry, should invest in
initiatives which provide incentives for the development of more
environmentally friendly fibres.
2. The UK
Government should work with the fashion industry and
manufacturers to develop a comprehensive framework to tackle
‘greenwashing’, or false sustainability claims.
3. The UK
Government, fashion industry and manufacturers should support the
development of mechanical and chemical fibre recycling
technologies, particularly those which are able to separate
blended fibres.
