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Something in the Water: Is Your Laundry Hurting the Environment?

The clothes that you choose to buy and the way that you wash them could be hurting the environment. Find out why and what you can do to mitigate your impact.

Patti Toews is a provider of sustainability and waste management solutions for our local and state government clients. She focuses on new and existing regulatory challenges and issues. Is your laundry hurting the environment? In the APTIM Green Team’s May meeting, we discussed laundry and its associated microplastic environmental impacts. Synthetic textiles are reported to be one of the greatest contributors to engineered microplastics in our waterways. Synthetic fibers like acrylics, nylons, and polyesters are a form a plastic and make up an estimated 60 percent of the clothing we wear today.THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTOR:
Patti Toews, Sustainability and Waste Minimization Business Leader
APTIM | Environment and Sustainability
Patti.Toews@APTIM.com
Patti Toews is a provider of sustainability and waste management solutions for our local and state government clients. She focuses on new and existing regulatory challenges and issues. Learn more about Patti here.

 

 

In the APTIM Green Team’s May meeting, we discussed laundry and its associated microplastic environmental impacts. Synthetic textiles are reported to be one of the greatest contributors to engineered microplastics in our waterways. Synthetic fibers like acrylics, nylons, and polyesters are a form a plastic and make up an estimated 60 percent of the clothing we wear today.

What Happens in the Wash?

Washing synthetic fabrics frees microplastics through the abrasion and shedding of fibers. Then, our plumbing sends the spent water and microplastic fibers from our washing machines to a wastewater treatment plant. Unfortunately, these fibers are too small for the plant to filter, so they are discharged with treated wastewater. That is how microplastic fibers end up in waterways. Natural fabrics like cotton, linen, and wool shed, too, but they biodegrade and become part of the food chain when they enter waterways.

How Is This Issue Being Regulated?

California Assembly Bill (AB) 1628 would require on and after Jan. 1, 2029, that all new washing machines for sale in California contain a microfiber filtration system with a mesh size of not greater than 100 micrometers. This mesh would be small enough to capture the microplastic fibers and therefore prevent them from entering the waterways.

This bill has not reached the governor’s desk just yet, but it is making its way there. AB 1628 passed the Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials with a 7-2 vote on March 28, the Appropriations Committee with a 11-4 vote on May 18, and the Assembly Floor with a 63-14 vote on May 31. Here at APTIM, the Waste Minimization team will be following this bill closely, and we suspect that other states will, too.

What Can You Do To Help?

Your daily decisions can make a big impact on the environment. Here are our top four tips to reduce microplastics in your waterways.

  1. Buy used. Thrifting can be a fun shopping experience as you explore past styles and find bargains. Most importantly, you are reducing landfill volumes, production pollution, and water consumption.
  2. Check the labels. As much as possible, buy cotton, linen, and wools, which do not contain microplastics. Plus, these fabrics are easily recycled or reused.
  3. Prep your laundry. A great way to reduce shedding is to zip up all zippers before loading them into your washer. A ragged, unzipped zipper causes friction and therefore releases more microplastics during wash and spin cycles.
  4. Wash less. Just because you have worn something once does not necessarily mean it needs to be washed. If your clothes do not have stains or smells, wear them again. With smaller and fewer loads, you will reduce your energy and water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and microfiber shedding.

What are you doing to reduce microplastics and protect the environment? We would love to hear from you. As always, the APTIM Waste Minimization team is here to answer any questions you have and provide comprehensive services to your business or community.

APTIM. In Pursuit of Better.

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