It is said that by the year 2025, there will be more plastic than fish in our oceans. We’re not just talking water bottles, candy wrappers and plastic shopping bags. One of the leading contributors of plastic pollution happens to be microfibers.

When you hear the word microfiber, your thoughts most likely go right to those super soft cleaning rags you just had to buy at some house party. Unfortunately, the microfiber we’re talking about is the tiny plastic fibers used to make your clothing. Wait..PLASTIC? Yup, any clothing made with polyester, nylon, spandex, to name a few, is made with non-biodegradable plastic microfibers.

Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and popular clothing company, Patagonia, teamed up and conducted a number of studies focused on microfiber pollution. One study found that the United States alone, could be releasing more than 750,000 pounds of microfibers into oceans and steams, DAILY! 

There’s no way it can get to be that much? According to studies, only one load of laundry could release more than 700,000 plastic microfibers. Now I’m no good at math but just in the US, there are 325.7 million people, and even if half of those people do laundry regularly, that’s a whole lot of microfibers being shed and released into waterways.

All of us can bring those numbers down by doing something less painful then ditching most of your wardrobe because it’s made with fabrics containing synthetic fabrics that shed microfibers. By installing a lint filter directly to your washing machine discharge hose you will stop those microfibers dead in their tracks. There are different methods and products used to catch shed microfiber but we suggest trying the Filtrol 160 – Microfiber Lint Filter. It’s easy to install and maintain and by looking at the filter bag after just one wash you will be surprised by how much your clothes really do shed. 

Check out these videos to learn more about the Filtrol 160 today!