A few months ago I was in my bathroom staring at my jar of plastic free toiletries (each jar labeled with my terrible hand writing using masking tape) and I noticed what I was wearing: a pair of polyester leggings and a nylon athletic top. The same type of synthetic fabric I’d spent countless hours ranting about on social media two days previously.
It was ironic to say the least.
As a result of my growing interest in researching microplastic pollution, and learning about studies detailing how synthetic fabrics lose thousands – and sometimes tens of millions — of tiny plastic fibers during each wash. The small plastic fibers then enter rivers and oceans where fish mistake them for food. Yes, they’re probably in our drinking water and are probably in the food chain. This was all very scary information that I was prepared to use as fodder for my angry blog post rants about.
What I wasn’t prepared for was realizing I’m contributing to this disaster every single time I throw my workout clothes into the washing machine.
The numbers are quite alarming once you start looking. A single wash load of synthetic fabrics can release anywhere from 700,000 to 12 million microfibers. I do laundry approximately 3 times a week, and I suspect I wash at least 50 percent of those clothes in synthetic. I’m basically releasing millions of plastic particles into the water system weekly simply by washing my clothes.
This all started when my friend Maya, a marine biologist researcher, sent me pictures from her recent study. “Fish with colorful plastic fibers” inside their stomachs. “Most of these are from laundry,” she pointed to a bright blue fiber. “Wastewater treatment plants can’t filter out particles this small.”
When I got home I gazed at my wardrobe with a sinking feeling in my stomach. For years I’ve been attempting to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle, but I have somehow accumulated hundreds of synthetic workout clothes, fleeces and those ridiculously comfortable polyester PJs that are 100% polyester. I had been so busy concentrating on removing plastic water bottles and plastic shopping bags that I completely ignored the plastic I am literally wearing every day.
Initially, I wanted to immediately box up everything and donate it to a thrift store. Which would have been foolish, as someone else would just buy the same synthetic clothes and generate the same pollution. Plus, replacing my entire wardrobe would be way more expensive than I wanted to pay, and probably wouldn’t be the most environmentally friendly solution either.
So, instead of freaking out, I decided to focus on finding solutions. Surprisingly, there are many ways to catch microplastics before they go down the drain ranging from relatively simple to somewhat complex.
One of the easiest ways to catch microplastics is using specialized laundry bags. I first purchased a Guppyfriend bag, which is essentially a fine mesh bag that you put your synthetic clothes in before washing. The first time I used it, I was amazed by the sheer amount of visible lint that was caught in the bag’s corners after washing. That fluff would have gone straight into the water supply.
Next, I tried the Cora Ball, which apparently simulates the way coral functions as a filter for ocean water. You simply throw the spiky ball into the regular laundry with your clothes, and it catches microplastics in its tentacles. While the Cora Ball is easier to use than the Guppyfriend Bag (especially for large items), it seems to catch less material than the Guppyfriend Bag based upon my own unscientific comparison tests.
I became slightly obsessed with testing different methods. I annoyed my poor flat mate to the point where she stopped going into the laundry room at all, simply because I was constantly bombarding her with minute details about the relative efficiency of microfiber capture and cost/laundry analyses. I think I got a bit out of control during the research phase.
After that were the external filters that attach to your washing machine. To install these, you have to physically alter your washing machine. My landlord was not thrilled with my request to alter the laundry hookups to accommodate the PlanetCare filter system I ended up installing. Ultimately, he gave in to my persistence largely due to my assurance that I would repair any damage to the unit, and to restore anything that might be damaged when I leave the premises.
Installing the filter system was a learning experience. The instructions stated that it was a breeze, simply attach the filter cartridge to your washing machine’s drain hose. Apparently, however, there are many types of drain hoses and many types of connections, and my particular setup did not match the diagram shown in the instruction manual. After I spilled water all over the laundry area twice and viewed numerous YouTube videos, I finally figured it out.
Honestly? The results have been worth the hassle. According to PlanetCare, their filter system captures around 90% of the microplastics. Also, they provide a return program, where you return the used filter cartridges, and they responsibly dispose of the captured plastic in a landfill, not just some random dumpster somewhere.
Clearly, none of these solutions address the root of the problem. The problem is we are all wearing plastic. I have been gradually replacing my worn out synthetic clothing with natural fiber alternatives whenever possible. Cotton shirts, wool sweaters, linen pants. Generally speaking, natural fiber alternatives cost more initially, but generally last longer if cared for properly.
Workout clothing is more difficult to replace, however. I have not been able to find any natural fiber alternatives that perform as well as synthetic athletic wear for running in the summer heat. Cotton gets wet and stays that way, wool is too hot, and everything else I have tried causes chaffing or wears out too quickly. So, I continue to wear synthetic athletic wear, but I’m much more discerning about when I choose to wash it.
In addition to individual action, there are also interesting developments occurring in the area of textile science. There are several companies developing synthetic materials that release fewer microplastics than standard synthetic materials, using different weaving techniques or applying treatments to the fibers. There are also several companies developing biodegradable synthetic materials that would break down in nature if they entered the environment. I purchased a running shirt made of one of these new materials to test them. I’ll let you know how they work out this summer and with my questionable laundry skills.
Politically, there are movements underway. France has plans to require all new washing machines to include microplastic filters by 2025. California is considering similar legislation. Of course, given my knowledge of how slow changes occur, I’ll probably be in my mid-40s before this happens here.
Anyway, I have made some other changes to my laundry practices beyond the use of a filter. I wash synthetic clothing less frequently. Those yoga pants don’t have to be washed after every single wear, regardless of what my mom thinks. When I do wash synthetics, I use cold water, liquid detergent and the delicate setting. Large loads produce less friction than small loads. Therefore, less fibre shedding.
Also, I have started using this strange trick I read online, a spray bottle with diluted vodka to freshen up clothes between washes. Vodka kills odor causing bacteria without requiring a full wash cycle. My flatmate definitely thought I had developed a drinking problem when she saw me spraying my sports bras with vodka at 6:00 AM. Now, however, she sprays her gym clothes with vodka too.
The big picture stuff is happening at wastewater treatment plants as well. More and more facilities are installing advanced filtering systems capable of catching microplastics prior to the treated water being returned to rivers and oceans. Obviously, this is where we need systemic change, since even the most dedicated individual attempts will never catch 100% of the fibers.
I’m not stupid about how effective my personal filter setup will be. One apartment using micro-fiber bags isn’t going to save the oceans. But I have always believed that understanding a problem is the first step to solving it, and that individual actions add up when enough people take action.
About a month ago, I helped a local environmental organization collect water samples and analyze them for pollutants in several of the creeks near my house. We took the water samples and looked at them through a microscope. Each sample had visible plastic fibers floating in it. Bright colored strands that clearly came from clothing. It was both depressing and encouraging to see the evidence of this pollution in our local watersheds.
My most encouraging conversation lately has been with an engineer who designs municipal water treatment. She explained to me that ten years ago, no one was even talking about microplastic pollution. Today, it is rapidly becoming a focal point for innovation in water treatment design. Eventually, slow progress leads to rapid progress.
Thus, I’m still wearing those synthetic leggings for running, because, let’s be honest, they work better than any of the natural fiber alternatives I have found to handle the heat and moisture. They get thrown into a filter bag for washing, and I’m much more judicious about how often I really have to wash them. It’s not perfect, but I’m producing a significantly smaller volume of plastic particles in the water system than I was before making the above changes.
