Textile production generates 92,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution each year, report finds

New research from Earth Action has found that textile manufacturing generates around 92,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution annually, with more than 63 percent of this waste ultimately leaking into the environment.

In the NGO’s ‘From Shedding to Solutions’, it is suggested that despite wastewater treatment capturing a significant proportion of fibres, current infrastructure prevents only 34,000 tonnes, or 37 percent, of annual leakage from reaching the environment.

Bangladesh was identified as the largest contributor to global microfibre leakage, accounting for 24 percent of annual emissions, followed by China at 15 percent and Pakistan at 11 percent.

While Bangladesh, Pakistan and China together account for 54 percent of production-related fibre losses, the report noted that differences in wastewater treatment and sludge management mean pollution levels do not directly reflect manufacturing output.

Earth Action said coordinated action across the textile supply chain could reduce production-stage microfibre leakage by approximately 95 percent by 2032.

The report highlights three key areas for improvement: designing textiles that shed fewer fibres, expanding wastewater treatment in manufacturing regions and improving sludge containment after treatment.

"The greatest opportunity lies upstream..."

According to the study, wastewater treatment alone would reduce overall leakage by around 6 percent, while improved sludge management could reduce emissions by 43 percent. Combined with cleaner manufacturing processes, the measures could cut leakage by roughly 74,000 tonnes.

The report also points to emerging research showing that relatively small changes to textile construction, including yarn structure, fabric density and finishing treatments, can reduce polyester fibre shedding by between 60 and 90 percent.

In a statement, Sarah Perreard, co-founder of Earth Action, said: "This is the first time the full system has been mapped at this scale, and it won't be the last. Each new phase will sharpen the picture further. But the evidence is already strong enough to act on now.

"Brands and regulators don't need to wait for a complete picture. They need the will to use what we already know."

Kyle Blakely, SVP innovation, design studio, development & testing at Under Armour, which sponsored the report alongside Patagonia and Decathlon, added: "This report reinforces that the industry has reached an inflection point - measurement alone is no longer sufficient.

"The greatest opportunity lies upstream: treating low-shedding construction as an engineering parameter embedded in design decisions from day one, not a metric measured at the end.

"No single brand can solve this alone. Coordinated action across the value chain is essential to achieving the reductions the science demands, and Under Armour is committed to contributing its data, methodology, and experience to that collective effort."