Reducing microfibres one knitted jumper at a time?

世纪的中心是两个流行词：微纤维污染（MFP）和手工主义（自己动手做手工项目，如针织和钩编）。前者主要与在穿着和护理过程中脱落的合成纤维有关（例如，洗涤）阶段的产品，其中微小的纤维颗粒最终在我们的海洋。虽然已经有一些解决方案可以解决这个问题，如孔雀鱼袋或科拉球。各种手工制作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合成服装的创作阶段考虑MFP。然而，不清楚的是这些微纤维捕获装置是否以及在多大程度上减少针织纺织品结构的脱落，以及消费者在多大程度上理解所提供的信息并将其转化为行动。这个跨学科的项目结合了反垄断运动，特别是自COVID-19以来，已经看到了上升，与MFP的研究，通过探索以下几个方面：1.家用洗衣模拟/复制和输出表征纺织品的产生（例如，第一阶段：在家用洗衣模拟/复制过程之前和之后分析水中的水微塑料含量（利用离心机分离水和微塑料以确定微塑料脱落的质量;通过SEM（扫描电子显微镜）和DLS（动态光散射）分析表征微塑料）。阶段2：重复阶段1，包括微纤维捕获装置（例如，Cora Ball、Guppy Bag、Lint LUV-R过滤器）。第3阶段：重复第1和第2阶段，以模拟纺织材料的老化和使用。2.根据国内洗钱模拟的结果，将进行一项定性实验，操纵反洗钱主义网站，使其呈现三种不同的情景：a）目前的信息是增加微纤维捕获装置;和B）目前的信息加上第二阶段国内洗钱模拟的数字/结果; c）当前信息以及第3阶段国内洗钱模拟的数字/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动追踪研究，该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会激发兴趣，以及后续的定性访谈，以更深入地了解决策过程。该项目符合EPSRC确定的可持续工业的关键优先事项。它侧重于微纤维污染的当前主题，并能够创造一个满足当前需求而不影响未来需求的未来。本DTA（客观地）探讨了针织纺织品结构及其随时间推移的微纤维脱落率，以及微纤维捕获装置的有效性，从而与减少可能污染海洋和河流的塑料废物的优先事项保持一致。该DTA针对的是一个关键领域，因为它关注的是仅次于石油行业的第二大污染行业（雷米等人，2016年; WRAP，2020年），该行业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。面对这一挑战，该项目利用纺织技术来刺激国内洗衣和测量MFP，同时进一步关注商业可行性和利益相关者的购买。因此，该项目解决了EPSRC的各种目标，涉及“先进制造，提高效率，加快创新，实现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'.