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The Conversation
Environment
Deirdre McKay, Professor of Sustainable Development, Keele University

Doing laundry by hand sheds just as many microfibres as machine washing – new research

Most of the world washes their clothing by hand. elJad/Pixabay, CC BY-NC-SA

Between 6,500 and 87,000 tonnes of microfibres are shed during domestic laundering every year in the UK. Many of these minuscule fibres end up in rivers and oceans, with devastating consequences for aquatic animals and environments.

As a result, environmental advocacy groups in the UK, EU and North America are campaigning for legislation to mandate microfibre-catching filters for all new washing machines.

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