Can you guess what daily practice produces half a million tonnes of plastic microfibers a year which contributes to ocean pollution …
are you ready…
IT’S WASHING YOUR CLOTHES!
YEP! It is estimated that 35% is entering our oceans from the simple daily chore of washing the clothes we wear.
Why is this happening & how to make a change?
Synthetic clothing is tipped to be the culprit, this includes polyester, nylon and acrylic fabrics just to name a few.
Now I know what you’re thinking… not everything you wear can be a natural fibre, like imagine your bathing suit made out of cotton… maybe not the best choice!
However we can still make informed choices when choosing the clothes we wear.
Obviously natural and organic fibres are better at breaking down… but what do you do with all the polyester/ nylon gear you have?
Here’s 4 handy tips to help minimise the release of plastic microfibers each time you wash:
- Try to only wash your clothes when you need to. Airing your clothes can sometimes be enough just after one wear instead of putting it in the wash every time.
- Wash your clothes at a lower temp. Cooler washes can lead to releasing less microfibers.
- Fill your load! Make sure your washing full loads on a gentler cycle. Gentle cycles cause less friction which can help with mircofibre release.
- Try your best to air dry your clothes… Only use the tumble dryer when absolutely necessary!
Wanna find out more?
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