Why There Are Microplastics In Our Oceans And How We Can Reduce Them
I adore the ocean. I grew up at the beach and have never lived more than 300 metres away from a sandy shoreline. As a teenager I walked home after school and arrived dripping wet; I cannot be stopped from dunking myself under salty waves, even in winter.
Whenever I visit the beach I apply the ‘take three from the sea’ rule and pick up rubbish, occasionally turning my walk into a full-blown beach clean-up, just to make sure I am caring for the place that fuels me. Unfortunately, the plastic items I clear away that I can see with my own eyes are not the only plastic threats to the ocean and its inhabitants. Microplastics are everywhere. These tiny fragments, invisible to the naked eye, wreak havoc on our marine ecosystems.
Microplastics come from many different sources but one of the least known is from our laundry; an activity we cannot avoid. An average load of 6 kilograms of washing can release up to 700,000 microplastic particles into wastewater. This blog, sponsored by Samsung, will discuss why doing laundry is harmful to our oceans, microplastic pollution, and how we can mitigate the amount of microplastics in our waterways during a washing cycle with simple habits and tools like washing machine microplastic filters.
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are minuscule pieces of plastic, less than five millimetres in size, that come from a variety of sources. The majority of our microplastics, known as secondary microplastics, originate from the degradation of larger plastics, like plastic bags and fishing nets, that get thrown around in the ocean’s chaos, but as much as 31% of the microplastics found in our oceans are from primary microplastics. Primary microplastics include the abrasion of tyres when driving, intentionally added microplastics in cosmetic products (e.g. exfoliating face scrubs), and the laundering of our clothes.
How do plastic particles get from our washing machine to the ocean?
Even if you’re an amazing ethical fashion advocate who thinks deeply about who made their clothes, it’s likely you haven’t ever thought about the impact of your laundry habits beyond what type of package free laundry detergent you use. The conversation around the impact of a garment is often centred around how it’s made, the creation stage, and end of life, and what happens when it can no longer be worn. But what about in between? We need to be talking a lot more about how a garment is cared for throughout its lifetime, including how it is washed.
Imagine this: your humble washing machine is churning away, doing all the heavy lifting for you while you read a book or make your lunch. The mechanical and chemical stresses during a load of washing are what set microplastic fibres free from their textile confines. The battering of the garment causes it to shed fibres. Some of these fibres get caught up in wastewater treatment plants, others slip through into open waters.
Pair this with the fact that over 60% of the world’s clothes are synthetic and you start to wonder how we can keep this up without drastic negative consequences. Fortunately, when Samsung’s Less MicrofibreTM Filter is used over a whole year, it prevents the equivalent of 8x 500ml plastic bottles from entering the waterways from our clothes (based on an average of 4 washes per week) - more on this soon.
How do microplastics impact marine life?
Sure, microplastics cannot strangle seagulls like plastic bag handles or suffocate turtles like plastic straws, but the tiny size and mobility of microplastics make them easily ingested. I remember back in 2018 when I first spoke to a scientist who explained this to me. My first question was, “but when fish and other marine animals ingest plastic, what actually happens to them?”
Research around microplastics is relatively new, but studies have found that microplastics can cause poisoning, reduced feeding habits, and increased mortality. A publication in 2022 concluded that microplastics can also be responsible for a decline in fertility and slow larval growth in aquatic invertebrates. So although microplastics don’t hurt marine animals in the shocking way we see on the news, they get into their system and affect them from the inside in a potentially more damaging long-term way.
The prevalence of microplastics in our oceans isn’t a worry solely for marine life, but for the organisms who consume them too; humans. Again, our understanding of microplastics is still new so the verdict is still out, but there are major concerns about the physical and chemical toxicity of microplastics in our diet through the consumption of seafood. If microplastics can affect the lifespan and fertility of sea creatures, it isn’t ridiculous to consider that they could affect the lifespan and fertility of seafood consumers too.
What can we do to mitigate the effects of microplastic pollution in our laundry?
Now that you understand how plastic particles from our clothing get into the ocean, you’ve probably already guessed the simple habits you can adopt to reduce microplastic pollution.
Purchase natural fibres
Although researchers are still figuring out the impact of natural microfibres on our oceans, natural clothing is best. Think linen, cotton, wool, and hemp. Natural fibres have all sorts of positives that stem beyond protecting our oceans too. Generally, they’re more smell and stain-resistant, they don’t demand the production of oil to make, and they feel much better on your body.
Wash your clothes less often
I don’t think you should start embracing stained shirts, stinky clothes, and losing friends, but I believe most people need to wash their clothing less often. Unfortunately, we’ve gotten into the habit of ‘one wear, one wash’. Not only is this mentality costly for our water and power bills, but every time we wash our clothes, as they shed microfibres they lose longevity too. The items in my wardrobe that last the longest are ones I have consciously hand-washed and spot-washed.
Use a washing machine microplastic filter
Some new washing machines have inbuilt microplastic filters to combat the issue of microplastics in our waterways, but if you’re not ready for a washing machine upgrade, the Samsung Less MicrofibreTM Filter is a great option. The filter prevents up to 98% of microplastics from being released during a laundry cycle and then entering the environment via wastewater. The product can be fitted onto any front-loading washing machine, regardless of the brand. It has been created with inspiration from Patagonia and expertise from Ocean Wise, a global ocean conservation organisation. If you’re in Aotearoa, New Zealand, $50 of your purchase of a Samsung Less MicrofibreTM Filter will be donated to SeaCleaners to support their efforts in caring for our oceans.
Essentially you attach the pipe connected to your washing machine where the waste water comes out. The water passes through the Samsung Less MicrofibreTM Filter, leaving up to 98% of microplastics behind, then exits into your usual wastewater stream. I understand not everyone will be able to afford this clever technology, but it’s an awesome washing machine microplastic filter for those who still wear synthetic fibres and are concerned about microplastic pollution.
Use laundry liquid, not powder
Powder is more abrasive for our clothes and can mean more fibres come off garments in a load of washing. Stick to a sustainable laundry liquid and avoid using fabric softeners which make your clothes weaker and more likely to shed.
Front-loaders are best
If you have a top loader, don’t fret, but next time your washing machine breaks past the point of repair, replace it with a front loader. Front-loading washing machines are generally far more gentle on our clothes. They have more gentle cycle options and a calmer washing action which minimises the abrasion to clothes and consequential, the shedding of microfibres. Additionally, studies have shown that using less water in a cycle can reduce the amount of garment shedding and front-loaders use less water too.
When I grow up, I want to hold the hand of my grandchildren, point to the ocean and say “Let’s go for a swim!” I don’t want to be banned from swimming in our seas because plastic particles, including microplastics, have turned our oceans into a toxic habitat. It’s easy for me to connect to the importance of our ocean health while I write this by the sea, hearing the waves crashing and smelling the salt air. But regardless of where we live in the world, we must understand how our laundry habits affect our seas and adopt simple habits to reduce our negative impact on them.
I encourage you to consider purchasing natural fibres when you’re hunting through second-hand stores and only buying new clothes when you need them. Wash your clothes when they need it, not just because you’ve worn them once. Purchase a washing machine microplastic filter like the Samsung Less MicrofibreTM Filter to reduce the number of microplastics entering our wastewater. Use a front-loader washing machine, liquid instead of powder, and most importantly, chat about this unknown issue with your friends and family!
These steps are tiny compared to the scale of our plastic crisis, but when thousands of people do their best to change their household’s laundry habits, the positive impact all adds up.
This is a sponsored blog. I only work with brands I love, use, and support.