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Reducing Microplastic Fiber Fragment Emissions from Woven Fabrics During Laundering by Controlling Weaving Process Parameters: A Contribution to Sustainable Textile Ecodesign
Summary
Scientists found that the way polyester fabrics are woven affects how many tiny plastic fibers wash out in the laundry and end up in our water supply. By changing specific weaving techniques—like using fewer threads per inch and certain weave patterns—manufacturers could reduce these microplastic releases by up to 70%. This matters because these microscopic plastic fragments can end up in our drinking water and food chain, potentially affecting human health.
Nowadays, synthetic textiles, widely used on the market and largely composed of polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, PET), release microplastic fiber fragments (MPFFs) into the environment, inducing repercussions on ecosystems and health. Reducing these emissions by understanding manufacturing’s influence on MPFF release represents an important challenge for sustainable textile manufacturing and eco-design. This study aims to identify key weaving process factors influencing MPFF release during the first wash, which ends up in wastewater. Employing a Taguchi design of experiments, 18 fabrics were produced on industrial machines from polyester filaments, with different warp and weft densities, weaving patterns, and production speeds. Following identical black dyeing and finishing treatments, the range of the average quantity of MPFF released per fabric varies from 221 mg/kg to 753 mg/kg with an overall mean value of 451 mg/kg across all trials. Among the investigated parameters, warp yarn density and weaving pattern emerged as the most influential factors, accounting for the largest variations in MPFF release. Increasing warp density from 40 to 60 yarns/cm resulted in a substantial increase in MPFF emission, while the 3/1 sateen weave exhibited significantly lower MPFF release compared to plain and ottoman weaves. In contrast, weft density and weft insertion speed showed limited influence relative to experimental variability. No clear correlation was observed between the number of filaments in the weft yarn and MPFF release. These results show that the higher the surface mass, the cover factor, and the drape coefficient, the higher the release of MPFFs. This study shows that it is possible to limit the amount of microfibers generated by textiles by controlling the design and production of fabrics. The results support the integration of microplastic mitigation criteria into sustainable textile engineering and industrial eco-design frameworks. Nevertheless, the complexity of the release mechanisms and potential interactions between factors highlights the importance of conducting further research to determine the specific fabric characteristics that influence MPFF release.