The German sporting goods industry association (BSI), the Adidas Group, Polartec and Vaude are taking part in a three-year research project, funded by the German federal ministry of education and research, to try and reduce micro-particles shed when textiles made with synthetic fibers are washed. Along with micro-particles from many other sources, such as the disintegration of packaging materials, micro-particles originating from household washing can end up in the environment and enter the food chain through their release into rivers, lakes and seas. The Textile Mission project, which started at the beginning of September, is funded with a budget of €1.7 million from the German government and coordinated by BSI. One part of the project is to work on creating textiles and clothing using research and production processes that significantly lower the quantities of micro-particles released compared with currently available products. The researchers will verify the feasibility of using biodegradable fibers as an environmentally-friendly alternative. The other part of the project is intended to try and optimize wastewater treatment technology to phase out the largest possible amount of particles. This would also help to reduce micro-plastics from non-textile sources. The sporting goods suppliers involved in the project are going to work together with the Hochschule Niederrhein (Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology) and the TU Dresden (Faculty of Environmental Sciences). Other parties are Henkel, the German detergents company, and Miele, which makes washing machines, along with WWF Germany. More on this topic in The Outdoor Industry Compass.

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