Microfibres from our laundry are one of the largest sources of microplastics pollution in the ocean. Microfibres are tiny pieces of fibre — less than 5mm in size and thinner than a human hair — that are shed from fabrics when they are washed. Many microfibres are made of synthetic materials and are basically tiny pieces of plastic, but natural materials (like cotton) also shed microfibres when washed.
By simply washing in cold, we can reduce the number of microfibres that are shed from our laundry and improve the health of the ocean.
Once microfibres leave your washing machine they are harder to collect at wastewater treatment plants. It’s better to deal with microfibres at the source: the washing machine.
Explore here to find out more about this and what else you can do to take action at home!