An employee stands next to machinery at the French textile recycling company Nouvelles Fibres Textiles - Les Tissages de Charlieu, which produces secondary raw materials for textile companies, in Amplepuis, central France, on June 2, 2025. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 58,000 tonnes of microfibres from textile production leak into the environment every year, according to a new analysis.
The report by research consultancy Earth Action claims more than 92,000 tonnes of microfibres are lost during textile production every year, with almost two thirds (63%) leaking into the environment.
According to the study these losses arise from the wet processing stages of textile production, including finishing, dyeing, washing, and other processes.
Washing processes account for the largest share of intrinsic losses (49%), followed by dyeing (24%) and finishing (7%).
