Tip #79 Keep The Plastic Microfibres From The Ocean

Washing your clothes properly and also sustainably is becoming a bit of science. Luckily, it's not rocket science, so we can easily make things right.

Did you know that millions of microfibers originate from all your favourite activewear, swimwear, and even natural fabrics?

These tiny pieces are called microplastics, make their way from the washing machine through the drains to the oceans and rivers where they damage ecosystems, work their way to the food chain, and can even threaten your health. Tap water and even single-use bottled water usually contain these microfibers too.

There is almost nowhere on earth that plastics haven’t been found, not even in the depths of the ocean. In October 2020, scientists in Australia published a study estimating that 9.25 to 15.86 million tons of microplastics can be found on the ocean floor. Or, as The New York Times reported: “18 to 24 shopping bags full of small plastic fragments for every foot of coastline on every continent except Antarctica.” (source)

Yet again, there is a solution to this problem. One is to avoid the pieces of clothes that shed microplastics, so you should stop buying things made of synthetic materials or once when you already have them in your household, you should use washing bags or filters that stop the release of microplastics into the water.

There are more products on the market that you can choose from, so you can give it a try.