Microfibre Shedding Testing

Intertek has developed capability using a scientific test method to measure microfibre shedding so that apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers can better understand the impact their clothing has on the pollution of oceans and waterways.

Laundry is a significant source of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans, in fact it’s been estimated that textiles, in the form of synthetic microfibres, produce up to 35% of marine microplastic pollution. Intertek’s microfibre shedding test method analyzes wastewater produced during a simulated domestic laundering process, testing samples under appropriate conditions of temperature and abrasive action to replicate microfibre loss that happens during home laundering.

Using analytical evaluation to benchmark microfibre shedding, apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers can gain a better understanding of their products’ microfibre shedding during the laundering process, in order to make smarter fabric selections that cause less microfibre shedding and create a green fabric database with microfibre shedding data.

We are able to conduct microfibre shedding testing according to AATCC TM212-2021, Test Method for Fiber Fragment Release During Home Laundering and the Microfibre Consortium test method to determine microfibre shedding in apparel and textiles.