Managing microfibre shedding

Microfibres are small. Really small. Like, less than ten micrometres in diameter, small. 

Unfortunately for all of us, their omnipresence has a really big impact in our aquatic and atmospheric environments. Fjällräven's Sustainability Advisor Christiane Dolva explains:

“These small particles end up in our water, eventually making their way into animals and then our food. They are pollutants that are hard to clean up due to their size, and they do not break down in the environment. For all these reasons, we should be concerned about microfibre shedding, try to understand where they come from, and figure out how to prevent them from entering the environment.”

Microfibres end up in the environment because of shedding. This occurs when textile materials shed small micro-fragments, or fibres. This can happen during production, use and in the wash. As the world produced, used and washed more products, the amount of microfibres shedding into the environment increased and was eventually flagged by researchers and the textile industry as a significant risk to the health of the world.

Though the microfibre shedding problem is clearer than it was, researchers are still working to figure out what share of microfibre shedding can be attributed to the textile industry.

According to Christiane, what we do know for sure is that, “. . . all materials, natural as well as synthetics, shed microfibres during their use. We need to understand what type of materials shed more than others. And what can be done to prevent it.”

We also know for sure that getting to the bottom of the problem – and solving it – requires global commitment.

A global effort.

After identifying microfibre shedding as a problem we were contributing to, and needed to help solve, Fjällräven joined The Microfiber Consortium, along with over 60 other companies. Founded by the European Outdoor Group (EOG), it set up the 2030 Microfibre Commitment, which we signed. In doing so, we committed Fjällräven to tackling the problem by working proactively with other companies, in the textile industry and beyond. As Christiane says, “Fjällräven provides both financial support to the consortium’s work and research, as well as knowledge about our materials, data from our own testing, and our specialised understanding of the problem”.

Together with these other companies, we share, combine, and build on each other’s achievements:

“We got involved with The Microfibre Consortium from the very start, because we quickly realised that the topic of microfibres is something that affects the entire industry. With the level of uncertainty and lack of clear research, we needed to join forces with others if we were to ever build knowledge and find real solutions.” 

The teamwork proved effective. One of the biggest challenges the industry faced studying microfibre shedding was a lack of standardised testing. Without a common standard it was not possible to accurately assess the materials we currently use. We also could not set requirements for the types of materials we would want to use in the future. The good news now is the consortium has established a standardised test for microfibre shedding. 

“The standardised testing method is crucial,” says Christiane, “We can test new materials before we start using them and can collect enough data to compare different materials and determine which shed less (and more).”

According to Christiane, Fjällräven is now applying this standardised testing to all new synthetic materials, and retroactively testing existing materials in our portfolio to assess their performance. But this is only step number one:

“Once our data sets and knowledge are robust enough, we can draw conclusions about the types of materials and constructions we should use to avoid microfibre shedding. Then, we are ready to make the best choices possible about textiles for every Fjällräven product.”

Testing the test.

One type of material we paid extra attention to was the fleece to be used in new products. Not because fleeces are worse shedders than other materials, but because they are part of a new generation of recycled synthetic materials we are interested in.

In short: before we selected a new fleece, we wanted answers!

“We tested all of them according to the industry standard test to determine which was the most desirable. The fleece we will use for products like the Vardag Lite Fleece is one of the first materials where we added shedding requirements. It is just one of the many quality and sustainability requirements that the materials we source need to meet.”

Vardag Lite Fleece M

The fleece is also made of 100% recycled material and dyed with a CO2 dyeing process. Using 95% recovered CO2 in a closed-loop system as an agent to carry dyestuff to fabrics, this process eliminates the water and wastewater from dyeing.

“We did it all to find the best material combination for a new fleece.”

High function for low impact.

Though the onus is primarily on industries and leaders to manage the overall challenge of microfibre shedding, Christiane says there are some practical things you can do to help from home. For instance, there are washing bags that capture microfibres, preventing them from entering the water stream. You just pop the clothes inside and run your preferred wash program as normal.

Christiane also makes an excellent point about how to avoid microfibre shedding in the washing machine altogether: do not wash your garments more than needed. In fact, this approach is important in a few ways. “First, you don’t wear out your garment faster by putting it through unnecessary washing cycles. You also avoid using more water and energy than necessary.”

Luckily, helping you invest in durable garments that are still usable after many wears is Fjällräven’s speciality. High function for low impact, when garments are repairable, timeless and made to last, they endure longer life cycles and reduce your overall environmental impact, period.

At Fjällräven sustainability isn’t treated as a separate project, it is at the core of everything we do. Follow the topic, here on the Foxtrail.