New detergent by Europe's Inditex & BASF lowers microfibre release

This innovative detergent may reduce microfibre release by up to 80 per cent depending on fabric type and washing conditions, thereby helping to reduce carbon emissions and extend the life of clothing.

To leverage the positive environmental impact of this solution, the formulation can be adjusted to enable the use of this technology by other detergent manufacturers, Inditex and BASF said in a joint press release.

The detergent formula was tested in the laboratory using different textile types and washing conditions. The results show that the detergent is particularly suitable for washing at low temperatures which brings additional advantages: end users can lower their energy consumption – by reducing the temperature for example from 40 degree Celsius to 20 degree Celsius – and thereby reduce their carbon footprint. Colours stay bright for longer, extending the life of the textiles.

"Innovation and collaboration are key to meeting the challenges of the textile industry. We strive to be more creative and efficient by driving innovative new technologies. This project with BASF is a good example of this approach as it shows the effectiveness of cross-industry collaboration and goes one step further as it can be adjusted to extend the use of this technology in the industry," said Javier Losada, chief sustainability officer of Inditex.

"We work continuously to address the growing demand of our customers for innovative and sustainable solutions. With the jointly developed laundry detergent, we are supporting the textile industry on their sustainability path and allow consumers to improve their own environmental footprint," said Soeren Hildebrandt, senior vice president Home Care, I&I and Industrial Formulators Europe.

Consumers can buy the detergent at Zara Home stores and online platforms in more than 25 markets, including Spain, Germany and most of the European markets. The product will also be available at additional markets and stores in the coming weeks.

“Plastic Soup Foundation welcomes Inditex's announcement, in cooperation with BASF, today. With this new detergent, Inditex seems to be the first major fashion company that publicly acknowledges the problem, which is an important first step in the right direction. The global fashion industry has a significant plastic footprint that urgently needs to be reduced now, not tomorrow,” Maria Westerbos, the founder and director of Plastic Soup Foundation, told Fibre2Fashion in an email communication.

“We are intrigued to learn more about what further steps will be taken, particularly concerning the issue of micro-fibre shredding in the whole product life cycle, and we are open to working together with them on this. We would also like to welcome Inditex, as well as BASF to join us at the Plastic Health Summit in May 2023 to discuss these plans in more detail and maintain an open dialogue,” added Westerbos.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)