November 18, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source proofread by Craig Philip, Heriot-Watt University More than 14 million metric tons of microplastics are estimated to be lying on the ocean floor with the fashion industry among the worst pollutants. But a new project led by textile experts at Heriot-Watt University in the Scottish Borders, is aiming to make fashion labels and consumers alike more environmentally aware when manufacturing and buying new clothes.
For four years, a small team headed by Dr. Lisa Macintyre, associate professor of textiles at the University's School of Textiles and Design in the Galashiels campus, has overseen painstaking research to co-develop the world's first visual "fiber fragmentation scale." The five-point scale assesses the volume of fiber fragments shed from different clothing materials, with observers visually grading each between one and five.
Grade one having the highest volume of shed fibers to grade five having the least. This new method is faster and more cost effective when processing a large volume of materials than compared with alternative techniques. This holds significant advantages for manufacturers as they can quickly identify low shedding materials and select these for further testing to determine their suitability for garment production.
Existing methods.
