Image: Micro Catch While cotton is a natural product, materials like polyester, nylon, acrylics, and spandex are not, and each time we wash them they “shed” a lot of microplastics. As a matter of fact, one washing cycle can produce as many as 700,000 plastic microfibers. While some wastewater treatment plants do try to filter out these microplastics , this isn’t the case for all wastewater treatment plants around the world and they are actually not that effective. Attempting to extract microplastics from waste water is the same as trying to take out the eggs after you’ve baked the cake, although I guess in the case of waste water that would be a pretty disgusting cake, but you get my point. Once again the answer lies in catching as many of the microplastics at the source as possible, or in other words decentralize the solution. That is where the aptly named startup company Micro Catch comes in. The company has come up with a great way to significantly reduce the problem at the source, directly at the washing machine. Its solution is a new kind of smart filter that can either be integrated or added onto existing washing machines. […]
Latest Articles
A Massive Solar Power Farm Will Be Built in California Desert
Takeaways: A major solar energy project, the Crimson Solar Project will be built in the Californian desert.
Once completed, it will have the capacity...
A 1,000-Pound Great White Shark just Spotted Off Coast of New Jersey
Takeaways: A 1000 pound great white shark was spotted off the coast of New Jersey.
This shark, Ironbound, has traveled an estimated 13,000 miles...
Shoes Made from Grapes and Mushroom Handbags: the Rise of Animal-free Leather
Takeaways: Plant-based leather helps upcycle an existing waste stream, disconnects from the cattle industry and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Major fashion brands...
Germany Announces New Plan to ‘Turbocharge’ Transition to Renewable Energy
Takeaways: Germany has announced its plan to get at least 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
The plan includes increasing...
We Have a Lot to Learn From Indigenous People’s Oyster-Shucking Practices
Takeaways: The abundance of oysters in the US is one example of Indigenous oyster fisheries around that world that harvested huge quantities without wiping...
Researchers Spot a Rare Type of Dragonfish at 1,000 Feet Deep
Takeaways: Researched in California have recently spotted a rare type of deep-sea dragonfish nearly 1000 feet deep.
This species can be found off the...