How to Prevent Microplastics from Your Laundry
Written By Ashley King, Vice Chair South Vancouver Island
Did you know?
Laundry releases around 264 tonnes of microfibres into Canada’s bodies of water every year.[1] This affects our marine organisms, who mistake them for food, causing negative effects on marine life, our ecosystems, and therefore the food we eat, leading to a variety of health problems and degeneration of our Earth.
While we cannot eliminate microplastics caused by laundry completely, there are a variety of ways you can reduce their release from garments.
Here are some tips on how to reduce your impact:
Use cold water instead of warm or hot.
Use less detergent, which increases microfiber release.
Do laundry less often, in bigger loads.
Consider air drying your clothes, as dryers release microfibers into the air from the dryer vent.
Consider purchasing sustainable microplastic-filtering laundry bags or a microfiber filter, which can collect microfibers before they are released.
If you need new clothes, consider purchasing ones that are made from natural, biodegradable fibers.
Avoid longer cycles.
Choose your washing machine wisely (focus on machines that don’t cause as much shedding).
Choose natural, biodegradable detergents.
By implementing any of these tips, you will have successfully reduced your impact on the environment and have taken a step towards reducing the tonnes of microplastics that end up in our oceans.
1. Ross, Peter, Posacka Anna, and Edson Ethan. 2025. “The Global Plastic Pollution Treaty negotiations failed: What this means for microplastic pollution in Canada’s environment.” Raincoast Conservation Foundation. https://www.raincoast.org/2025/01/global-plastic-pollution-treaty-negotiations-failed/#:~:text=Microfibres%20%E2%80%93%20a%20key%20pollution%20challenge,rivers%2C%20lakes%2C%20and%20oceans.
