TUV Rheinland: Reducing Fibre Shedding When Washing Textiles

Microfibres released during laundry pollute the environment considerably / TUV Rheinland to support members of The Microfibre Consortium (TMC) to enhance understanding of fibre shedding from textiles / Information at www.tuv.com/textiles

COLOGNE, Germany and SHANGHAI, Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- It happens a million times every second, worldwide. Yet for many people it is happening in secret. "With every wash, textiles shed microfibres. But while cotton, as an organic material, degrades almost completely, synthetic fibres persist in the environment much longer," explains Heather Ball, responsible for textile testing at TUV Rheinland in Western Europe. Only a few days ago, researchers from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Great Britain published their latest measurements of micro plastics in the Atlantic Ocean. The experts assume that an estimated twelve to 21 million tonnes of waste are found in the upper layers of water in the first 200 meters alone. This also includes fibres shed from synthetically produced fibres. "The problem has long been recognized by experts. The microfibres in the wastewater are not completely filtered out by sewage treatment plants and thus end up in the waters or as sewage sludge on the fields".

TUV Rheinland receives recognition

TUV Rheinland has now taken an important step in Asia to counteract this environmental impact. In June 2020, the Microfibre Consortium (TMC) approved the technical service provider's textile testing laboratories in Shenzhen and Shanghai to carry out tests for TMC member organizations. The aim is to quantify fibre release from fabrics during domestic laundering. A commercial roll out will follow. Mickey Yu, responsible for textile testing at TUV Rheinland in Greater China: "In this way, TUV Rheinland is making an important contribution to reducing fibre fragmentation throughout the clothing supply chain".

The aim: reducing fibre fragementation

The microfibre consortium TMC was founded in November 2018 and today has 40 members from the outdoor, sports, high street, luxury fashion and home textiles sectors with a total turnover of over 250 billion euros. TMC has a rapidly growing network of research institutes and associated companies from all over the world and facilitates the development of practical solutions to reduce fibre fragmentation and contamination for the textile industry. "As an approved test house for TMC members, we can now support testing starting with textile manufacturing and throughout the entire product lifecycle to ensure sustainable product development," says Heather Ball. Members range from apparel brands, retailers and manufacturers to research institutions and policy makers, all of whom are working on global, environmentally sustainable solutions.

More information about textile testing at TUV Rheinland: www.tuv.com/textiles

For organizations interested in joining TMC as a member further information can be found at www.microfibreconsortium.com

TUV Rheinland stands for safety and quality in virtually all areas of business and life. Founded almost 150 years ago, the company is one of the world's leading testing service providers with more than 20,000 employees and annual revenues of 2 billion euros. TUV Rheinland's highly qualified experts test technical systems and products around the world, support innovations in technology and business, train people in numerous professions and certify management systems according to international standards. In doing so, the independent experts generate trust in products as well as processes across global value-adding chains and the flow of commodities. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com