A colleague of mine made the point that part of the microplastic problem in the oceans is also driven by the activity of washing synthetic clothing. The breakdown of the fibers contributes to the very small particles getting into the water systems. It may be a different and more intractable problem to solve rather than the bulk deposition of plastics in the ocean but it will be a problem in the future.
In it the journalist talks about microfibers, which apparently are primarily natural fibers (cotton, wool, etc).
"Although around 50% of our clothing is made from plastic, new research from Italy’s Institute of Marine Sciences suggests that the majority of these tiny threads aren’t made of synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon, as had been presumed, but cotton, linen and other man-made fibres such as [rayon], which have been so impregnated with chemicals that they aren’t able to naturally biodegrade.
Whatever their make-up, microfibres are flooding the oceans. While some are caught by filters in washing machines, and others are extracted at waste treatment plants, it’s estimated that some 1.4 quadrillion are floating in our seas, absorbing pollutants and other poisonous substances, and becoming highly toxic"
A good experiment to run would be collecting all of your polyester fabrics in one pile and all your cotton in another and then doing laundry. Look at which fabric produces the most lint since lint is essentially small fibers that come off our clothing, but stay on the clothing during the wash and get blown off during the drying process. I'm guessing the polyester or synthetic fabrics produce relatively small amounts while cotton/wool produce more.
If you do run the experiment post your results to the comments here or on Part 2 when it comes out.
Incredibly interesting, Tony. What an amazing read!
A colleague of mine made the point that part of the microplastic problem in the oceans is also driven by the activity of washing synthetic clothing. The breakdown of the fibers contributes to the very small particles getting into the water systems. It may be a different and more intractable problem to solve rather than the bulk deposition of plastics in the ocean but it will be a problem in the future.
Hey Martin, I am actually going to address this somewhat in part 2. In the meantime, here is a Reuter's article I would recommend that you read: https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/fashion-slow-act-ocean-plastic-pollution-microfibres
In it the journalist talks about microfibers, which apparently are primarily natural fibers (cotton, wool, etc).
"Although around 50% of our clothing is made from plastic, new research from Italy’s Institute of Marine Sciences suggests that the majority of these tiny threads aren’t made of synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon, as had been presumed, but cotton, linen and other man-made fibres such as [rayon], which have been so impregnated with chemicals that they aren’t able to naturally biodegrade.
Whatever their make-up, microfibres are flooding the oceans. While some are caught by filters in washing machines, and others are extracted at waste treatment plants, it’s estimated that some 1.4 quadrillion are floating in our seas, absorbing pollutants and other poisonous substances, and becoming highly toxic"
A good experiment to run would be collecting all of your polyester fabrics in one pile and all your cotton in another and then doing laundry. Look at which fabric produces the most lint since lint is essentially small fibers that come off our clothing, but stay on the clothing during the wash and get blown off during the drying process. I'm guessing the polyester or synthetic fabrics produce relatively small amounts while cotton/wool produce more.
If you do run the experiment post your results to the comments here or on Part 2 when it comes out.
Tony