FULL LOADS
Less water per item
Newcastle University research found water volume, not spinning, drives shedding. Full loads and standard cycles release fewer fibres.
Check a load
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
Every wash
sheds a little.
Synthetic clothes lose tiny fibres in the machine.
Many are small enough to drain away with the water, and many are likely to pass through sewage treatment into the environment. UK university studies show the fabric, the cycle and the size of the load all change how many come out.
FULL LOAD less water per shirt
Check a load- Fill the drum
- Skip the delicate cycle
- Wear clothes longer
- Small changes, fewer fibres
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fabric, cycle
and load matter.
You cannot stop shedding completely,
but research points to easy ways to cut it.
FABRICS
Not all synthetics are equal
In Plymouth tests, acrylic shed the most and a polyester-cotton blend the least, whatever detergent was used.
See the numbers
FILTERS
Catching what escapes
Fibre-catching devices cut fibres reaching wastewater by 21% to 78% in Plymouth's tests, but researchers say they are only part of the answer.
What you can do
FOUR HABITS TO TRY
Wash smarter,
not less clean.
These come from the studies' own conclusions. None of them needs new kit, and some save water and energy too.
Fill the drum
Full loads mean less water for each item, which the Newcastle study linked to fewer fibres.
Choose a standard cycle
Delicate cycles use a high volume of water, which pulled away the most fibres in the tests.
Know your fabrics
Acrylic and polyester shed more than a polyester-cotton blend. Check the label when you buy.
Wear clothes longer
Plymouth researchers say the biggest change may be clothes designed to last longer and shed fewer fibres.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Hundreds of thousands
per wash.
One figure on how much a load can shed,
one on how much a filter can catch.
700,000+
Fibres from one 6 kg acrylic wash
Washing an average 6 kg load of acrylic released an estimated 728,789 microscopic fibres in a 2016 University of Plymouth study, many likely to pass through sewage treatment.
SHEDDING · UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
78%
Best fibre-catching device tested
In a 2020 comparison of six in-drum devices and external filters, the most effective cut the fibres released by 78% and the least effective by 21%.
FILTERS · UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
Plymouth researchers also found everyday wear and tear is as significant a source of microplastics as washing, and say designing clothes to shed less in the first place may be the biggest change.
A QUICK LOAD CHECK
What is in
the drum?
Pick a load to see roughly how many fibres research found it released. The bar shows how much shedding the studies measured.
Figures from University of Plymouth (2016) and Newcastle University (2019) laboratory studies of synthetic fabrics.
WHERE THEY GO
Too small
to catch.
Microfibres from nylon, polyester and acrylic are so small that they drain out of washing machines. Newcastle University scientists have found such fibres in the deepest parts of the ocean, where sea creatures eat them.
The appliance industry has started adding microfibre filters to some new washing machines, and the textile industry is looking at clothes that shed less. Researchers say design, filtration and washing habits will all be needed.
Questions
Questions people ask
Do all clothes shed microplastics?
Clothes containing synthetic materials such as nylon, polyester and acrylic shed plastic microfibres when washed. In Plymouth tests, a polyester-cotton blend shed fewer than pure polyester or acrylic.
Is a delicate wash better for the environment?
Not for microfibres. Newcastle University found delicate cycles, which use more water, released 800,000 more fibres per wash than a standard cycle.
Does a fuller washing machine help?
Yes. The 2019 study found a high water-to-fabric ratio was the biggest factor, so the authors advise using full wash loads.
Do washing machine filters work?
Some do. Plymouth tests of six devices found reductions from 21% to 78%, but the researchers say filters can only ever be part of the solution.
Does detergent or conditioner make a difference?
In the 2016 Plymouth study, adding bio-detergents or conditioners tended to release more fibres.
Sources
- University of Plymouth: Washing clothes releases thousands of microplastic particles into environment (2016)
- Newcastle University: Delicate wash cycles release more plastic microfibres (2019)
- Kelly et al. (2019), Importance of water-volume on the release of microplastic fibers from laundry, abstract
- University of Plymouth: Devices can reduce fibres produced in laundry by up to 80% (2020)
Updated