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These tiny plastic particles come from larger plastics that have broken down, with synthetic clothing a key culprit.
by scientists in Canada.
While the particles are pervasive in the environment, there are important and simple ways you can reduce their presence in your home - starting with your laundry.
Why you should reduce microfibre pollution in your laundry
When you wash your clothes, hundreds of thousands of plastic microfibres could be released into the environment. While most are retained during wastewater treatment processes, a significant amount still end up in oceans and rivers, where they could be consumed by fish, or in fertilisers that are taken up by crops.
The amount of microfibres released depends on various factors, including mechanical stress and abrasion, your choice of detergent, the water temperature, wash cycle and type of clothing.
The good news is, there are some simple ways you can reduce the amount of microplastics that shed from your laundry.
Which types of clothing shed the most microplastics?
published in the journal Science of the Total Environment found. Clothing and textiles made of upcycled single-use plastics are especially problematic, even though they are seen as environmentally friendly.
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on microfiber pollution by nonprofit Ocean Wise.
particles making them even more toxic.
Even natural materials like cotton and wool shed non-plastic microfibres that can pick up pollutants. In some cases, these fabrics shed the same amount of microfibres as polyester, Ocean Wise found.
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Which wash cycle to use to reduce microplastic pollution
in your laundry. As it’s easier on your clothes, it can also help them to last longer.
Cotton cycles that run at high temperatures of around 60°C with a high spin rate place more stress on clothing compared to delicate cycles, leading microfibres to shed, the 2022 study found.
shedding.
Air-drying clothes on a washing line prevents further microplastic leakage caused by using a dryer machine.
Which detergent to use to reduce microplastic pollution
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Patric Richardson - the ‘Laundry Evangelist’ and host of ‘The Laundry Guy’ on Discovery+ - recently revealed on HuffPost’s ‘Am I Doing It Wrong?’ that we have a tendency to use far too much detergent. He advises using about two tablespoons per load for clean clothes.
. They made the headlines recently when New York City Council Member James Gennaro floated a bill to ban them.
. Gennaro says it is neither safe nor biodegradable as has been claimed.
brands and shop at refill stations to reduce your impact.
Use a microfibre filter on your washing machine
mandated that every new washing machine must have one of these by 2025.
A similar law has been introduced in Australia, while campaigners are calling for it to be introduced in the UK too.
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If you are purchasing a new clothes washer, opt for one with a microfibre filter built in. Front loading washing machines have also been found to release fewer fibres due to their softer tumbling motion.
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