INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT

ALL COMING OUT IN THE WASH

There are an estimated 1.4 million trillion microfibres in our oceans and the leading culprit is the humble washing machine. Thankfully, the Cleaner Seas Group has been working on a solution for consumers and industry alike.

Plankton are eating our microfibres. That’s not a euphemism, but a rather substantial problem for… well, life on earth right now.

There’s estimated to be 1.4 million trillion microfibres in our oceans. As a number, that’s rather incomprehensible.

From plankton, those fibres are passed up the food chain and just this year, plastic particles have been found in human blood and even living human lungs. The effect on human health is something scientists are ploughing considerable research into.

The source of this seismic issue? Look no further than the washing machine. That’s right, Plymouth University scientists have estimated that 700,000 long-lasting plastic microfibres are released into the wastewater system and natural ecosystems with every average wash load.

But as we discover the truths of our impact, we’re also innovating the remedies. It’s why you’ve likely been hearing a lot more about the Cleaner Seas Project of late.

Having started as a social enterprise to encourage seaside communities to clean their local beaches, the past few years have seen the Project grow – in scale and ambition.

Today, when the Cleaner Seas Project isn’t busy partnering with Hasbro’s Peppa Pig to orchestrate beach clean-up campaigns across the country, or teaming with Aardman to bring ocean microplastics education to Cornwall’s Land’s End or joining forces with Coldplay as part of the band’s sustainability initiative for its Music of the Spheres tour, it’s manufacturing a means of stemming the microfibre crisis at its source.

It’s called the microfibre filter and it makes the Cleaner Seas Project and its science and development entity, Cleaner Seas Group, pretty much the coolest thing on the planet, right now.

“Water utilities (sewage works) are not geared up to capture the microfibre waste produced from washing clothes,” says Avril Greenaway, marketing director at Cleaner Seas Group. “It either gets incorporated into sludge which gets spread on the fields – and then leeches into the waterways and eventually out to sea – or it goes straight into the rivers and seas.

“Our microfibre filter can be retro-fitted to most washing machines – and integrated into new ones - to capture microfibres down to one micron.” Each filter cartridge – made from recycled plastic - lasts up to 100 washes before letting the user know it’s full, at which point they can send it back to the Cleaner Seas Group for refurbishing. Unsurprisingly, the tech has caught the attention of the fashion sector whose input has since led to the development and evolution of an industrial washing machine version to support the industry.

“We’re engaging with multiple manufacturers about technology licensing to enable our cartridges and electronics to be built in or used in their machines,” explains Avril. “We’re also developing industrial filters to support a range of businesses from fabric manufacturers to the fashion industry and commercial laundries.”

The Cleaner Seas Group has also started engaging with the retail sector. All this feeds into the team’s core ambition to drive positive change for the planet. In France, for instance, where legislation is planned to be in place by 2025 mandating that all new washing machines feature a microfibre filter, the Cleaner Seas Group are regarded as the “state of the possible.”

“Meanwhile, in the UK, we’re a member of the allparty parliamentary group (APPG) recommending similar legislation,” says Avril. “We’ve helped shape a report now delivered to Government to drive a possible microplastics bill in this country, too.”

TOP: The image of a plastic microfibre inside the digestive system of a plankton fuelled Cleaner Seas Group’s mission to find a remedy.

ABOVE: The Cleaner Seas Group, from social enterprise to future tech development.

LEFT: The Cleaner Seas Group Microfibre Filter will trap plastic microfibres down to one micron.