Samsung and Patagonia have teamed up to fight the microplastics that are produced throughout the textile and laundry processes.
In comparison to other sustainability initiatives like water-saving devices, washing garments has not gotten the same awareness campaign as microplastics yet.
Microplastics from clothing made of stretchable denim, fleeces, nylon, and polyester wind up in rivers when synthetic textiles are washed. Numerous polymers are released by even delicate cycles.
In that case, adding filters for washing machines and protective laundry bags are just some of the solutions that are now available to help capture some of the microplastics released during washing.
According to Samsung, together with Patagonia the companies are working on a feasible, effective and expandable way to combat the microplastics that result from textiles and laundry. Samsung is designing new machines that minimise the impact of microplastics.
The release of microplastics from synthetic clothes is mainly caused by the mechanical and chemical stresses that fabrics undergo during a washing process in a laundry machine, which lead to the detachment of microfibres from the yarns that constitute the textile.
The Patagonia and Samsung collaboration will see select machines using a new filter system and cycle, with both companies look at reducing micro plastics by up to 54 percent. The washing machines are expected to be available later this year.
