Reducing Microfiber Pollution through Mandatory Filtration Standards for New Washing Machines
Abstract
Synthetic textile microfibers are one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution in California’s marine ecosystems. Microfibers represent over 90% of all microplastics consumed by marine wildlife, and ingestion of microfibers by animals is harmful to wildlife and ecosystems at large. Each year, up to 48.5 million pounds of microfibers enter California’s lands and waters from washing machines. The use of in-line filters on residential washing machines to capture microfibers is a practical, near-term solution that has been proven by lab and field studies to capture the majority of these microplastics before they enter the wastewater system. This brief seeks to address the issue of microfiber pollution by offering concrete recommendations for a California mandate that is enforceable, cost-conscious, and aligned with manufacturing timelines.
Authorship
This brief was authored by Erin Gustafson ([email protected]).
The views, opinions and recommendations expressed in this policy brief are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management at UC Davis.