Slowing the tide of ocean plastic: Microfibre filters should be fitted to all washing machines by law to protect sea life, environmental charity says

Washing machines for sale should be legally required to have special filters to catch plastic microfibres released from clothing, an environmental charity has said.

The Marine Conservation Society’s ‘Stop Ocean Threads’ campaign is calling for the UK Government to write the use of the filters into law by the year 2024.

However, the charity is also lobbying washing machine makers directly in the hope of speedier action — and is asking the public to help by tweeting their message. 

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Research conducted by YouGov on the charity’s behalf found that more than four-fifths of adults surveyed supported the introduction of such legislative measures.

Meanwhile, 26 per cent said that they would be quite willing to pay an extra £50 for their next washing machine if such came with a filter to catch plastic microfibres. 

Less than five millimetres in length, microfibers are produced across every step of the garment fabrication process — and released when clothes are machine washed. 

In September, a study reported that washing machines are dumping around 165,000 tons of synthetic fibres into the ocean each year — and other 175,000 tons on land.

‘Our research has found that the public is largely supportive of our call for legislation, and consumers are willing to pay a little more to reduce the flow of microplastics into the ocean,’ said the Marine Conservation Society’s Laura Foster.

‘It’s fantastic to see the support our petition has received so far, but now we need the public to show their support and join our action to engage with manufacturers directly,’ Dr Foster added.

‘If we can show manufacturers that the public wants these filters fitted as soon as possible, we hope to speed up the legislative process and get filters fitted in the near future.’

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