Restorying Riverscapes: Investigating the social and environmental
impacts of the textile industry on rivers past and present
Wednesday 9th November 2022
The fashion industry is dominated by synthetic fibres and chemical dyes, releasing volatile
substances into waterways that can pose a threat to human health and damage complex
ecosystems. In response to growing concerns around fashion’s impacts on rivers throughchemical and microfibre pollution, Fashion Revolution has launched a new report detailingresearch conducted on the social and environmental impacts of the textile industry on theriverscape of the Churnet at Leek, Staffordshire.
The Restorying Riverscapes project took place during Spring and Summer 2022, bringing
together Fashion Revolution and researchers from Keele University and Loughborough
University alongside local community groups. Its aim was to examine historical changes in
the River Churnet at Leek, Staffordshire linked to textile production in the area during theindustrial revolution. The project addresses the lived experience of community building,involving people in innovative activities that explore local history and the impacts of industrial
heritage on their environment, developing a more inclusive account of environmental history.
Together with citizen scientists, the researchers reinterpreted historic Leek in parallel withthe experiences of other textile-boom regions, such as Bangladesh, where migrants havesettled and helped shape the culture and where rivers are filled with wastewater carrying
dyes, fibres and mordants that accumulate in their sediments. Through this research, novel
connections have been made between the resilience and recovery of the rivers and lakes
and the resilience of the local community in the face of deindustrialisation.
Key findings
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Evidence of textile microfibres were found in the River Churnet and Rudyard lake.
The sources of these fibres may include laundry and tumble drier effluent, sewage
overflows, sewage treatment, and the use of wastewater-derived biosolids as
fertiliser on agricultural fields.
The most common fibre type found in the microfibre analysis from lake sediments
and river water samples was cotton, with evidence suggesting an increase insynthetic fibres over time.
There is historic evidence of pollution linked to dyeworks and textile mills impacting
residents and workers throughout the 19th century.
Research suggests that Huguenot migrants, Jewish refugees and displaced workers
from other British industrial areas were involved in Leek’s textile boom.
Archives were studied that suggested women were both empowered and exploitedby the textile industry which largely relied on a feminised workforce.

●There is an urgent need for tougher legislation that mandates transparency andenvironmental due diligence in order to push fashion brands and retailers tomeasure, disclose and address their environmental impacts.

"In order to understand the long-term impacts that textile fibres will have on rivers, lakes andthe wider environment, we need to look to the past, using the mud from the bottom of lakes
as a time machine to understand how the types and quantities of textiles fibres havechanged over time. By doing this, we can gain an insight of the future challenges andimpacts presented by textile fibres in our environment today".
Dr Antonia Law, Senior Lecturer in Geography, Keele University“What I found most revealing was just how long it could take the river to recover from its
industrial heyday, with reservoirs, dredging, agricultural practices and low water allcontinuing to affect the river’s ecology. The health of rivers and river communities is fragile;
it’s been a real privilege to celebrate the history of the River Churnet and the silk industry atLeek, but also the lasting after-effects of the textile boom. It’s quite likely not much haschanged in contemporary textile production in other parts of the world.”
Professor Deirdre McKay, Professor of Sustainable Development, Keele University
The Restorying Riverscapes report is now available online and will be launched in print at apublic event on Thursday 10th November, featuring presentations from the researchers andopportunity for Q&A.

For more information, visit www.fashionrevolution.org/restorying-riverscapesContact press@fashionrevolution.org for interview requests
Download images for press here

Notes to Editors
About Fashion Revolution
Fashion Revolution is a global movement campaigning for a fashion industry that conserves
and restores the environment and values people over growth and profit. Since 2014 theorganisation has been working in over 90 countries worldwide across research, education
and advocacy with the aim to increase transparency in the fashion industry and stand insolidarity with the people who make our clothes. Fashion Revolution has grown to be theworld’s largest fashion activism movement, mobilising citizens, brands and policymakers tomake positive change.
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