Swiss company Livinguard Technologies has developed a new fabric treatment that keeps clothes smelling fresh and slashes the release of harmful microplastics during washing, CW39 reported.
Synthetic fabrics — found in sportswear, leggings, and fleece — are a major source of microfiber pollution, according to Livinguard. Normally, every wash of these can release up to 700,000 tiny plastic fibers into wastewater, CW39 reported.
These particles travel into rivers, oceans, and soil, with clothing responsible for more than 30% of microplastics entering the oceans each year. Across the ocean floor, even at the deepest levels, there is more than 14 million metric tonnes (about 15.4 million tons) of microplastics, according to estimates.
What's more, they can also hold onto sweat and body odor, which causes them to smell unpleasant even after light use, making fast fashion double the trouble.
Livinguard's new product, Better Fresh, targets both. It uses a special chemical process to neutralize smells while preventing fibers from breaking apart, the company said. Lab tests show shedding is reduced by more than 70% in the first washes, and sometimes by over 90%, Ecotextile News reported.
This has benefits for both consumers and the environment. Clothes last longer, which can save money and reduce waste. Odor control means garments can be worn more times before washing, lowering water and energy use.
And of course, it prevents harmful microplastics from getting out into the world. The company says the treatment has no negative effect on recycling or fabric circularity.
While long-term health effects of microplastic exposure remain unclear, researchers say these particles are now part of modern life, Livinguard said, with many people still unaware of their environmental impact.
Livinguard is one of several teams looking to tackle the problem. Another is a group of textile experts at Heriot-Watt University in the Scottish Borders, who developed the world's first method of detecting the amount of microplastic fiber fragments shed from a piece of clothing, according to an article posted by the university on Phys.org.
"Environmental pollution caused by microfibers from textiles has reached absurd proportions," Livinguard chief executive Sanjeev Swamy said, per CW39. "There is an urgent need for action. It is time to act to prevent irreparable environmental damage."
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