Reducing microfibres one knitted jumper at a time?

21世纪围绕着两个时髦词汇：超细纤维污染(MFP)和手工艺(手工制作项目，如针织和钩编)。前者主要与合成纤维有关，这些纤维在产品的磨损和护理(例如洗涤)阶段脱落，从而使微小的纤维颗粒最终进入我们的海洋。尽管已经有一些解决方案可以解决这个问题，比如Gupy袋子或Cora Ball。各种工艺平台现在都在提供这些第三方产品，通过推动他们的客户在他们的合成服装的创造阶段考虑MFP。然而，目前尚不清楚的是，这些超细纤维捕捉装置是否以及在多大程度上减少了针织纺织品结构的脱落，以及消费者在多大程度上理解了所提供的信息并将其转化为行动。这个跨学科的项目将手工艺运动与多功能一体机的研究结合起来，通过探索以下方面：1.国内洗衣模拟/复制和输出表征创造可在当前测试阶段中使用的纺织品(例如，用合成材料紧密/松散地编织)：阶段1：分析家庭洗衣模拟/复制过程前后水中的微塑性含量(利用离心机将水和微塑料裂解，以确定微塑料脱落的质量；通过扫描电子显微镜和动态光散射分析表征微塑料)。第二阶段：重复第一阶段，包括超细纤维捕捉装置(例如，Cora Ball、Guppy Bag、Lint LUV-R过滤器)。第三阶段：重复第一阶段和第二阶段，模拟纺织材料的老化和使用。2.轻推信息和消费者参与将根据国内洗钱模拟的结果进行定性实验，从而操纵手工艺主义网站以三种不同的情景为特色：a)添加超细纤维捕捉装置的当前消息；以及b)第二阶段国内洗钱模拟的当前消息加数字/结果；C)目前的信息加上第三阶段模拟国内洗钱的数字/结果。这项实验的参与者将被分配到不同的小组，并被要求参加一项眼球跟踪研究，将网站上的运动和注意力中心可视化，从而表明提供事实和数字是否可能激发兴趣，以及后续定性访谈，以更深入地了解决策过程。该项目与EPSRC确定的可持续工业的关键优先事项保持一致。它专注于当前微纤维污染的主题，并能够在不影响未来需求的情况下创造一个满足当前需求的未来。本DTA(客观地)探索针织纺织品结构及其超细纤维脱落率随时间的变化，以及超细纤维捕捉装置的有效性，从而与减少可能污染我们的海洋和河流的塑料废物的优先事项保持一致。这份DTA解决了一个关键领域，因为它侧重于仅次于石油行业的第二大污染行业(Remy等人。2016；WRAP，2020)，呼吁使用更可持续的解决方案来购买服装，并鼓励消费者采取行动。在考虑这一挑战时，该项目利用纺织技术来刺激国内洗钱和衡量MFP，同时进一步关注商业可行性和利益相关者的买入。因此，该项目解决了EPSRC的各种目标，这些目标涉及“先进制造、提高效率、加快创新和支持新的商业模式和技术”。

The 21st century centres on two buzzwords: microfibre pollution (MFP) and craftivism (do-it-yourself handcrafting projects, such as knitting and crocheting). The former has been predominantly associated with synthetic fibres that are shed during the wear and care (e.g., laundering) phase of the product, whereby tiny fibre particles are ending up in our oceans. Although there are already some solutions available to counteract this problem, such as the Guppy Bag or the Cora Ball. Various crafting platforms are now offering these third party products, by nudging their customers to consider MFP at the creation stage of their synthetic garments. What is unclear however, is whether and in how far these microfibre catching devices reduce the shedding of knitted textile structures, and in how far the messages provided are understood and translated into action by the consumer. This interdisciplinary project combines the craftivism movement, which, especially since COVID-19, has seen a rise, with research on MFP, by exploring the following aspects: 1. Domestic Laundry Simulation/Replication and Output Characterisation Creation of textiles (e.g., tightly/loosely woven from synthetic material) that can be utilised within the current test phases: Phase 1: Analyse the water microplastic content in water before and after the domestic laundry simulation /replication process (utilising a centrifuge to split water and micro plastics to determine the mass of microplastic shedding; Characterising microplastics through SEM (scanning electronic microscopy) and DLS (dynamic light scattering) analysis). Phase 2: Repeating of Phase 1 with the inclusion of a microfibre catching device (e.g., Cora Ball, Guppy Bag, Lint LUV-R filter). Phase 3: Repeating of Phases 1 and 2 to simulate the ageing and use of textile materials. 2. Nudging messages and consumer engagementBased on the results from the domestic laundering simulation a qualitative experiment will be conducted, whereby a craftivism website will be manipulated to feature three different scenarios: a) current messaging of adding a microfibre catching devise; and b) current messaging plus figures/result from domestic laundering simulation of Phase 2; c) current messaging plus figures/result from domestic laundering simulation of Phase 3. Participants in this experiment will be allocated into different groups and asked to participate in an eye-tracking study that visualises the movements and centres of attention on the website, thereby indicating whether providing facts and figures may stimulate interest, as well as follow-up qualitative interviews to gain deeper insights into the decision-making process. This project aligns with a key priority identified by the EPSRC of sustainable industries. It focuses on the current topic of microfibre pollution and being able create a future which meets current needs without compromising future ones. This DTA (objectively) explores knitted textile structures and their microfibre shedding rates over time, and the effectiveness of microfibre catching devices, thereby aligning with the priority of reducing plastic waste that can pollute our oceans and rivers. This DTA addresses a key area, as it focuses on the second most polluting industry, after the oil industry (Remy et al. 2016; WRAP, 2020), which has seen a call for the use of more sustainable solutions to purchasing garments and encouraging consumer to act on them. In looking at this challenge this project draws upon textile technology to stimulate domestic laundering and measuring MFP, whilst furthermore focuses on commercial viability and stakeholder buy-in.This project therefore addresses a variety of EPSRC objectives, which concern 'advanced manufacturing, increasing efficiency, speeding up innovation, and enabling new business models and technologies'.