6th November 2018
CHANGE YOUR LAUNDRY HABITS I F Y O U D O N ’ T W A N T T O E AT YOUR CLOTHES #WhatsInMyWash campaign shares tips to make your washes more ecofriendly and help clothes last longer Disturbing recent studies have found microplastics in human stool samples around the world1 after the contamination of waterways, ecosystems and our food and drink – and the impact on our health remains unclear.2 With an estimated one third of all microplastics in our oceans3 coming from washing textiles, environmental charity Hubbub’s #WhatsInyMyWash campaign encourages consumers to make some simple changes to reduce the number of microfibres being released from their clothes when they’re washed. The campaign, which is proudly supported by House of Fraser, was launched as Hubbub’s research of over 2,000 people across the UK revealed a lack of awareness about the plastic microfibres that come from clothing and the issues they cause.4 44% of those polled were completely unaware that microfibres often end up in our food - from mussells to table salt.5 While 71% were aware of plastic microbeads and their impact on the environment, only 56% know what microfibres are and how these actually pose a much bigger problem. Half a million tonnes of plastic microfibres a year contribute to ocean pollution – 16 times more than the plastic microbeads from cosmetics.6 Additionally, while synthetic clothing is on the rise and now accounts for around 60% of all clothing produced7, fewer than half (44%) of people realised that synthetic fibres such as polyester, acrylic or nylon are actually plastic. Plastic microfibres absorb toxic chemicals and the long-term health impact of consuming these fibres has yet to be fully established. Evidence8 given to the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee in 2016 raised concerns about the impact on critical diseases, health conditions and hormones, however little has been done to address the issue to date. Trewin Restorick, CEO of Hubbub said “The issue of microfibres in our ecosystem is complicated and there is confusion amongst consumers about what they even are. We launched our campaign to help educate people about the problem these fibres pose and to help them do their bit to make a difference. There is clearly a lot more research to be done at an academic and industrial level, but in the meantime we hope people will follow our tips to reduce the amount of microfibres they release into our waterways.”knowledge and awareness around microfibres amongst the public are low, so today we’re launching some clear actions that consumers can take to help reduce the amount of microfibres released from household washing.