Did you know your Laundry is toxic? These laundry monsters represent reality Together, we can #fixtoxiclaundry by
Von Wong |
photography
Benjamin Von Wong
We have a big problem. Our tap water is being contaminated every single day. The laundry that we do every single day is the cause! 94% of American tap water contains invisible plastic fibers. Tiny plastic fibers in our clothing – polyester, nylon, spandex to name a few – escape every time we do our laundry, and come right back into the water we drink because they’re too small to be captured by wastewater treatment centers. Despite that, not even the most ecofriendly washing machine companies have come up with a solution. I first learned about toxic laundry at a retreat hosted by the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Slakey, a lecturer from Georgetown University in Washington DC, talked about a team of young students he was mentoring that were so bothered by what they had learned that they designed a Fiber Filter capable of capturing invisible pieces of
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plastic in our water. I was blown away that kids were trying to solve a global problem that I hadn’t even heard about and offered to help them raise awareness for the issue. A few conversations later, I hopped onto a plane to DC to try and tackle this newly discovered threat. While in DC, I soaked in more sobering facts from the students. I learned that by 2025, the world’s synthetic fiber production will double – so too will the amount of microfibers in our water supply. And it’s not just about avoiding tap water… it’s also starting to infiltrate our salt and beer. The worst part was that there was no solution. Very few companies were taking responsibility, and all the consumer could do was support initiatives like the Fiber Filter, Cora Ball or Guppy Friend. Despite the many awareness campaigns explaining the problem, none offered a large scale solution.
