Specialty Fabrics Review July 2023 - 40

[ MARKETS ] INDUSTRY IN FOCUS
 Plastic breaks down in the
oceans into microplastics,
which are threatening the
food web. Photo: Naja Bertolt
Jensen on Unsplash
Reducing
microplastics W
Ongoing research and
what we can do now
by Kelly Hartog
HEN SYNTHETIC TEXTILES AND CLOTHING ARE WASHED-
at both the industrial and the personal level-they shed small plastic
particles known as microfibers that make their way into our ecosystem.
Microfibers make up more than a third of the type of pollution in our oceans
called microplastics, as estimated by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources in 2017.
In 2020 Australia's national science council " conservatively " estimated 14.4
million metric tons (31.7 billion pounds) of microplastics on the world's ocean
floor. These particles, which can contain toxins, aren't visible to the naked eye;
neither are they biodegradable. Once released into the environment, they are
extremely difficult to eradicate. When plankton, at the base of the food web, ingest
them, the plastic blocks their digestive tract and often kills them. The particles are
also ingested by other aquatic organisms, including shellfish, and end up in our
food and drinking water.
Unfortunately, both regulations on and research into the effects of microfibers
are nascent, says Charlie Cox, manager for microplastics solutions at Ocean Wise
Conservation Association in Canada.
Areas that could be regulated
" Regulating, for example, around materials like shedding thresholds, are being
discussed, " he says, " but we don't quite yet have enough knowledge to implement
them. " What do exist are measures around microfiber filters in washing machines.
France has established a mandate, set to go into effect in 2025, requiring that every
new washing machine has a microfiber filter.
In the United States, California's legislature considered a bill this spring to
require new washing machines to have microfiber filters by 2029, but the bill
is on hold. Similar initiatives were being discussed in Canada, Australia and
the United Kingdom.
40 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / July 2023

Specialty Fabrics Review July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review July 2023

Specialty Fabrics Review July 2023 - Cover1
Specialty Fabrics Review July 2023 - Cover2
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