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Microfiber and GHG Emission Analysis Across the Textile Value Chain: Shifting from End-of-Pipe Solution to Circularity
Summary
Making clothes—especially dyeing and printing fabric—sheds tiny plastic fibers (microfibers) that pollute waterways and pumps out heavy amounts of climate-warming gases. Even advanced wastewater treatment plants can't fully solve this: they catch most microfibers but just shift them into sludge, which can still end up back in the environment. This matters because those persistent microfibers can work their way into water, soil, and eventually our food and bodies, so the researchers argue we need to redesign clothing and manufacturing from the start—using less-shedding materials and greener finishes—rather than just filtering out the problem
The rising global demand for synthetic textiles, which accounted for nearly 64% of the market in 2021, has led to a critical accumulation of persistent microfibers and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study assesses the textile value chain to identify critical hotspots, revealing that while printing and dyeing are primary contributors to microfiber pollution, the dyeing and finishing stages are also major GHG drivers, projected to generate 1.8 Gt CO₂-eq by 2030. Current "end-of-pipe" mitigation, such as tertiary wastewater treatment, can remove over 99% of microfibers; however, the cumulative remaining fraction and the transfer of microplastics to sludge present ongoing environmental risks. To move beyond these isolated, reactive measures, this study proposes a shift toward circularity by integrating LCA-informed design and sustainable manufacturing. Key circular strategies identified include raw material substitution toward non-persistent fibers, mechanical process modifications to increase yarn twist and stitch density, and the adoption of bio-based finishing modifiers like chitosan and pectin to reduce shedding. By addressing both the methane-intensive agricultural stage and fossil-heavy chemical synthesis, these findings underscore that a holistic circular economy approach is essential to decouple textile production from systemic environmental degradation.