Unless you live in a natural fibers-only household, your laundry is likely exacerbating an environmental crisis with each wash.
The terrible microplastics mess we’re making — thanks in great part to the rise of synthetic clothing — apparently inspired Samsung to develop some new washing machine tech, which it called a “breakthrough in the fight against microplastics” today at CES 2023.
Specifically, Samsung is rolling out two new washing machine features — a plastic-catching filter that works with any washer and a specialized wash cycle that halved microplastic pollution in a Samsung-funded study. The tech giant says it worked with Patagonia for more than a year on the features, and claimed in a press release that they might “have a real impact on the health of aquatic ecosystems.”
