How To Reduce Microfiber Pollution From Your Laundry - a report from earth911.com

 

How To Reduce Microfiber Pollution From Your Laundry

BySarah Lozanova

Sep 20, 2022

If you wear much synthetic clothing, you likely create microfiber pollution every time you do the laundry. A type of microplastics, microfibers are plastic fibers smaller than 5 millimeters. When we wash synthetic fabrics, they shed these microfibers, which get washed down the drain with the wastewater, adding to the worldwide problem of microplastic pollution.

The Microplastic Problem

Plastic pollution is all around us, from the highest mountain to the depths of the world’s oceans. While plastic litter is a well-known problem, more people are becoming concerned about microplastic exposure. The universal use of plastics means that microplastics are widespread throughout the environment. Scientists have found them in our food, water, and even the air.

Researchers are still trying to determine the scale of this issue, but these tiny particles really add up. Australian scientists published a study in 2020 estimating that between 9.25 and 15.86 million tons of microplastics can be found on the ocean floor.

There are some obvious ways to prevent microplastics from entering the environment, like not littering. And as we learn more about the problem, we are discovering different ways microplastics enter the environment, such as through the laundry. Let’s explore how we can help keep microplastics from our laundry out of rivers, lakes, and the ocean.

How Does Washing Clothes Cause Microplastic Pollution?

Many clothes and linens contain synthetic fibers, such as fleece, acrylic, and nylon. The friction of the washing machine releases tiny particles into the wash water. Unfortunately, wastewater treatment plants are unable to capture these particles, so they are released into the environment, where they find their way into the ocean or even drinking water sources.

How Can I Reduce the Release of Microfibers From My Laundry?

There are a variety of steps you can take to prevent or reduce this source of pollution.

Don’t Use the Delicate Cycle

Researchers at Newcastle University explored how various washing techniques impact the release of microplastics. The amount of water in a load has a significant impact — and the delicate cycle has a higher volume of water than other settings. They found that washing clothes on delicate releases 800,000 more fibers than a standard wash cycle.

Fill the Washer

Running full loads of laundry also reduces the release of microplastics. In fact, Newcastle University researchers estimate that small loads release twice the microfibers compared to large loads. Likewise, shorter wash cycles, laundering clothes less often, and using cold water are all ways to reduce microfiber release. These methods also save energy.

Get a Laundry Filter or Ball

Although wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to remove such small particles, there are laundry filters and balls that do. Consumers can buy these products, which help capture the microfibers before the water carries them off. The balls go directly in the washer, while the filters connect with the laundry discharge outlet and require installation. Both the filters and balls need to be cleaned out periodically to remain effective.

Manufacturers say that the filters also help protect septic systems by preventing blockages and premature pump and pipe failures. However, according to studies and user observations, these products vary in their effectiveness at catching microplastics. Here is a sampling of the microfiber laundry solutions currently available.

Filtrol Filter

According to the manufacturer, this product removes 89% of microfibers and retails for $160. Earth911 obtained a promo filter to try out and found it easy to install and use. The unit seems highly durable, and replacement parts are available if needed. The filter needs to be cleaned out periodically or the laundry discharge water will bypass the filter. Filtrol also makes a commercial filtration system for laundromats, hotels, and resorts.

Image: Filtrol

MicroPlastics LUV-R Filter

This product removes 87% to 100% of microfibers from the laundry discharge. The filter costs $190, and replacement parts are also available. The Lint Luv-R needs to be cleaned out approximately every two to three loads of laundry, according to the manufacturer.

Image: Lint Luv-R

Cora Ball

Although this is the easiest product to use, it is also the least effective of the three options. It removes approximately 26% of microfibers, according to the University of Toronto. The Cora Ball is made of recycled and recyclable plastic, but many users wonder how effective it really is. However, 26% is a big step in the right direction and is a good option for people who use laundrymats.

Image: Cora Ball

Minimizing Laundry Microfiber Pollution

While there’s still a lot we don’t know about microplastics, researchers continue to uncover new information. For example, a recent pilot study found that tumble drying synthetic clothing releases even more microfibers into the air than laundering synthetics releases into the water. The study suggests the need for dryer vent filtration systems but until we learn more, you might consider line drying your synthetics.

To reduce microfiber pollution in the wash, any approach mentioned in this article helps and is a good start. If you combine strategies, such as washing large loads in cold water and using a Cora Ball, your positive impact expands.

Another way to cut down on this is to buy cotton products, even better second hand, which is great in two ways for the environment!

I am not a big fan of tumble dryers, they use a lot of electricity and they leave the clothes all creased up. The clothes don't smell as nice as when they are dried naturally, whether inside or outside!  Added to the fact of pumping microplastics into the air, this is a no no!  I have been using a new washing system for quite some time now and it seems to work!  A short wash using soap nuts and occasionally the laundry sheets now available (for things like towels and sheets) for that extra clean.  I am testing the laundry sheets out to see how they perform. My firm favourite is soap nuts for washing!

The blog song for today is: "the magic number" by De La Soul

TTFN

Sustainable Fashion: A Closer Look into the Material Drivers of the Clothing Industry- a report from :https://www.earthday.org

 A Closer Look into the Material Drivers of the Clothing Industry

July 28, 2022

Today, clothing manufacturers are paying more attention to the chemicals and materials they place into our wardrobes. This is no coincidence. Their awareness is due to upcoming legislation such as The Fashion Act and the European Union Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles that aims to reshape the retail industry through stringent requirements. The age of profit over people, rapid industrialization, and endless consumption must end now.

Many consumers recognize this overproduction’s damage to our planet and are entering a new era of thought. In this green transition, many consumers strive to be socially responsible, seek products with a purpose, and are determined to make environmentally conscious purchases. It has become pertinent that industries become fully transparent about the raw materials, chemicals, and manufacturing processes of their clothing. 

Do You Know What’s In Your Clothes? 

Today’s garments are assembled from a wide range of substances. These include synthetic fabric materials, fabrics sourced from plants and animals such as leather and cotton, chemicals for the fabric dyeing, processing, and finishing techniques, and various materials such as metals, wood, and plastic for hardware (buttons, zippers, buckles, clasps, etc.).

Notably, most garments are now entirely or partially made from petrochemically-based synthetic fabrics and fibers. In fact, 62% of all fibers that were produced in 2020 are synthetic. While the race towards “perfectly” sustainable synthetics is in motion, most of these experimental fabrics currently make up a slim margin on the global fiber market – about 0.5%.

Petrochemicals, The Dirty Facts: What Are These And What Textiles Have Them?

Petrochemicals are any chemical products derived from petroleum; a fossil fuel often referred to as crude oil. Fossil fuels are a nonrenewable resource, and the petrochemical industry exploits them; the negative environmental impacts are combined with profound social and political implications. In particular, air and water pollution are advancing global warming and environmental injustices, as production and consumption disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income. This begs the question: In the face of climate degradation, why do we continue to use these products? 

Petrochemicals create an amazing array of inexpensive and practical resources for multiple industries; from vehicles and electronics to laundry detergent, nearly everything we use today is powered by or made of petrochemicals.

In the apparel industry, petroleum-based fibers are found in 4 primary fabrics: polyester, acrylics, nylon, and spandex.  

1. Polyester is the most widely used fiber in the world. It is a thermoplastic, a plastic polymer that becomes malleable at certain elevated temperatures and solidifies upon cooling. It has many beneficial and expansive properties, such as microbial resistance, elasticity, and its ability to be strong as steel and light as paper. Its durability affords peak wash and wear performance. In stark contrast, the material also creates environmental malignancy by producing microplastics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during production, to name a few. 
   
2. Nylon, a manufactured polyamide (as opposed to silk and wool, which are naturally occurring), is one of the US’s most widely used synthetic fabrics. This thermoplastic is known for its durability, stain, and abrasion resistance, which hold high value in products like pantyhose. However, to produce nylon, you release nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a significant global warming potential 300 times that of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, the material creates microplastic pollution when washed. 
3. Acrylic is a synthetic fiber; its appeal is its wool-like feel without the expensive price tag or rigorous regime for upkeep. Again, these polymers, in addition to being inexpensive, have high durability and stain resistance. However, they are made of acrylonitrile, a carcinogen, and a mutagen. This substance can cause health problems, chiefly headache, nausea, dizziness, difficulty breathing, and many more based on exposure.
4. Spandex, also known as elastane or lycra, is simultaneously tight, elastic, lightweight, breathable, and occasionally comfortable. Just like polyester, we heavily rely on this synthetic fabric. You can find it in your swimwear and athleisure apparel. And, like polyester, spandex, when produced, releases GHGs and, when burned in landfills, releases carbon into the air and contributes to rising air pollution levels. 

While these fabrics make up a significant fraction of the fabric market, several other synthetic fabrics and filaments are depicted above. None of these materials are biodegradable, thus will not decay naturally and persist in the environment indefinitely, especially as microplastics on land, in the air, or in the ocean.

We are all striving to educate ourselves on the origins of our clothing and use this information to make more informed and eco-friendly-driven decisions about our wardrobes. For some simple tips to fill an environmentally-friendly closet with a wardrobe that looks great and lasts a long time check out our toolkit.

To learn more about sustainable fashion, test your knowledge, and find out what you can do to stand up to fast fashion, visit EARTHDAY.ORG’s Fashion for the Earth site. It is time for consumers to take matters into their own hands when fighting for the environment, garment workers, and our collective future.

Many people I know already do, or have now started to buy second hand clothes. We don't have that many here on Menorca but sometimes it is possible to grab a really good make of clothing for a great price, while also donating to charity and helping the planet too! It is a win-win situation!  I managed to pick up a pair of Levi jeans for the great price of 3.50 euro.

Another good thing is the emergence of the apps like "Vinted" designed to do the same thing!

The blog song for today is: "Strange Days"by the Doors

TTFN