While widely used, the term ‘microfibre release’ is slightly misleading. Technically, ‘microfibre’ simply describes the special design of fibers with a small diameter, used for example in mops and cleaning cloths. In this context, linear density is less than 1 decitex or a diameter less than 10µm. (Polyester microfibres typically have a diameter of < 10-5 m; this is a frequently referenced dimension, but not the formal definition of a microfibre which according to SI form would equal 1×10-6 m.) The term ‘fibre fragmentation’ is therefore more precise when referring to the issue of fibre pollution from textiles. This can be defined as a short piece of a textile fiber, typically less than 5 mm long, released from the main textile structure. These fragments, of either synthetic or of natural origin and with different diameters, can occur during, and be influenced by, all phases of the product life cycle. They are known to pollute the environment and are commonly regarded as a risk, although more research is needed to fully understand the impacts. The typical diameter range regarding polyester for textile clothing applications is 10 µm -40 µm. Finally, we should also mention ‘micro plastics’: plastic fragments in numerous geometrical forms (including fibre shaped) with a diameter of less than 5mm. Technically, however, there is currently no agreed legal definition of microplastics and work is on-going at the EU regulatory level. For further information on these issues, see the CIA brochure (euratex.eu).