By David Whiteside

When we do laundry, clothes made from synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, and rayon, can shed up to millions of microfibers.

Microfibers are tiny strands of plastic. Experts have found that synthetic textiles contribute significantly to the microplastics pollution found in waterways.

Many filters cannot catch the smaller strands. These miniscule fibers enter your community's waste water stream, and contaminate it with harmful chemicals and plastics.

Treated wastewater is then discharged into waterways carrying smaller microplastics with it. Fibers large enough to be filtered out, often end up in “biosolids” — fertilizer made from human waste and sold by industry to farmers.

Detergent pod packets create more plastic pollution. Many of the pods do not fully “dissolve” and are discharged with your household waste water. Incomplete solubility contributes to plastic pollution. Some pods are made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or a derivative chemical. PVA as a monomer is damaging to aquatic life.

Pod free detergents were used since the 1940s. Pods are another scheme by Big Oil and their plastics company offshoots whose profits increase with the proliferation of more single-use products that are choking our waterways and killing aquatic life.

Microplastics can harm wildlife but they can also absorb other toxins in the water. Microplastics accumulate up the food chain when ingested by smaller organisms.

Scientific studies have shown humans are ingesting thousands of these microfibers annually from our water, air, and food. Textile fibers are often found in seafood and fish on sale for human consumption.

SOLUTIONS:

Buy clothes made from plant-based materials such as cotton, bamboo, hemp. Support organic. Buy used. Repair clothes. New apparel sheds more than old. Use cold, quick wash cycles. Avoid delicates cycle. Avoid “pods.” Support additional filters such as guppybag or cora ball. Lint trapping methods should improve in washers and dryers. Shop less. Wash less.

Remember, industry is to blame, not us. Solutions to microplastics need to be systemic.