From Source to Sea: How Matter is driving action on microplastics at Global Fashion Summit 2026
At Global Fashion Summit 2026, Matter took to the new Workshop Stage with a clear objective: move the industry from conversation to coordinated action on microplastic pollution.
Matter hosted From Source to Sea: Reducing Microplastics in Fashion Supply Chains, a hands-on workshop designed to confront one of fashion’s most complex environmental challenges and, crucially, demonstrate that practical, scalable solutions like ours already exist.
As scrutiny on fashion’s environmental footprint intensifies, microplastic pollution is emerging as both a material risk and a defining leadership opportunity. These microplastics originate from fibre fragments shed from textiles during wet processes such as dyeing, finishing, and washing. Microplastic fibres are of particular concern due to their toxic content and extremely slow biodegradation. However, natural fibres can also persist in the environment for long periods and release chemical treatments into waterways. Therefore, while we place particular focus on microplastics, our attention as an industry should be to capture all microfibres.
This session was our contribution to accelerating progress and a key milestone in Matter’s journey toward our Microfibre Earthshot goal: removing 15,000 tonnes of microfibres by 2030.
Why Matter is focusing on microfibres
Microplastic and microfibre pollution has long been recognised as an environmental and human health concern. Yet within fashion, it has remained under-prioritised compared to other sustainability issues.
At Matter, we believe this is changing. But, it must change faster.
In his opening presentation, Adam Root, Founder and CEO of Matter, set out a direct challenge to the industry: microfibres are the “microscopic mammoth” within fashion’s supply chain. While material innovation and circularity are essential, significant pollution is already occurring upstream, particularly during wet processing and wastewater discharge at manufacturing level.
This is where Matter operates - at source, before microfibres even reach rivers, oceans, and ultimately human bodies.
Moving the conversation beyond materials
One of the clearest messages to emerge from the session was that microfibre pollution is not only a materials issue. While fibre composition matters, meaningful progress depends on understanding and improving wastewater performance across manufacturing.
To move from awareness to action, the industry needs more insight. This means developing and adopting robust, standardised methodologies that allow brands and manufacturers to quantify microfibre emissions with confidence and validate the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.
At Matter, we are working closely with industry stakeholders, NGOs, and research partners to advance understanding of microfibre emissions and help shape practical, scalable approaches to measurement. Our focus is to help provide clarity to the industry to understand their emissions and how best to take action.
““Shedding occurs at multiple points in the value chain, but addressing emissions at the manufacturing stage offers one of the most immediate and controllable opportunities for impact. By providing the means to measure microfibre emissions, the industry can take meaningful steps toward reducing their pollution.””
Manufacturers want clarity
From the manufacturing perspective, the workshop reinforced what Matter consistently hears across our partnerships: suppliers are ready to act, but they need guidance they can trust.
Nemanthie Kooragamage, Director of Group Sustainable Business at MAS Holdings, captured this sentiment powerfully:
““Some of the biggest environmental impact sits in wet processing. Shared standards will give us clarity.””
This clarity around expectations, measurement, and what “good” looks like is essential to unlocking action at scale. Without it, manufacturers face risk without reward. With it, they can stand out as leaders.
At Matter, we see our role not just as a technology provider, but as a bridge between brands, manufacturers, and initiatives helping translate ambition into implementation.
Brands, risk, and the need for viable action
For brands, microplastics are increasingly understood as an emerging business risk. Spanning regulation, investor scrutiny, and long-term water stewardship obligations, and an increasingly environmentally conscious consumer.
During the panel discussion, Cerian Atwell, Sustainability Lead at Marks & Spencer, reflected on the internal challenge many brands face: sustainability teams are balancing multiple priorities, while senior leadership and investors want confidence, scale, and cost certainty.
A key tension surfaced repeatedly:
· Brands cannot commit to what they cannot measure
· But they also cannot afford inaction.
This is why commercially viable, at-source solutions matter. When implemented at manufacturing level, they can reduce pollution without adding a premium, while lowering long-term risk across the system. They instead become a “green necessity”.
From dialogue to commitment: Inside the workshop
As part of the workshop, attendees were asked to draft a non-binding, speculative commitment their organisation could realistically adopt.
What emerged was striking alignment and shared frustration. There is a lot of talk, but we still lack the clear guidance that will deliver action. NGOs, brands, and initiatives must align faster to give the supply chain what it needs to move decisively.
As one recurring insight underscored: shared standards create confidence and confidence enables scale.
Scaling what works: The path forward
It was evident from attendees that strategies for mitigation are varied and their reduction potential is unclear due to the lack of methodologies to measure at scale. We need to:
· Align on frameworks for measuring and voluntary reporting, building on work such as the ZDHC & TMC TSS validation project and work to define an industry standard for measuring microfibre emissions
· Focus mitigation strategies where impact is greatest - at wastewater treatment level
· Reduce risk of adopting innovation through shared approaches and credible data
· Treat microfibres and microplastics as a core water stewardship issue, not a niche concern
This is where Matter is focused. Our work is about enabling action now, while supporting the industry to build the standards and data needed for long-term accountability.
This workshop was not the conclusion of the conversation. It was a catalyst. And at Matter, we are committed to ensuring it leads to measurable change.
