Would you eat your clothes?
You already are.
“Microplastics are present within the entire human food system. All 16 protein products included in our study were found to be contaminated with microplastics.”
( Environmental Pollution, 2024 source )So we decided to take a look for ourselves. Here’s what we found:
Where Do They Come From?
Laundry is the #1 source of microplastic pollution globally.
Every time we run a load of laundry, the wash cycle creates tiny abrasions in your clothes, causing millions of plastic microfibers to shed. These fibers leave the washing machine, go down the drain, and slip past wastewater treatment plants to end up in our water, food, and bodies.
How Do They End Up In the Water?
tiny abrasions in the
clothes, causing millions
of microplastics to break
off from the fabric.
Clothes in the Washing Machine
are made of plastic, synthetic
fibers that shed into the
water. Even cotton fibers
can be coated in synthetic
additives and toxic dyes.
the washing machine drain,
slipping past water treatment
plants and entering the
environment. Even the ones
that are caught are used
for fertilizer on our farmlands.
Which Get Sent Down the Drain
Shed Microplastics as They are Spun
throughout the water, breaking
down into nanoplastics.
Polluting Our Water
in the water end up back in our
food, water, and bodies.
Ending Up in Our Food, Drinks, and Eventually Our Bodies
Every time you wash your clothes, millions of microplastics shed into the water, spreading through our environment, entering our food and eventually our bodies.
Microplastics have been found in the human blood, brain, placenta, breast milk, and more. The average human brain may contain a plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics.
Do I Have Microplastics in Me?
Microplastics have been linked to cancer, heart attacks, neurological disorders, inflammation, and more. They can pass the blood-brain barrier and carry toxic additives into your body.
What are the Health Effects of Microplastics?
See Other Microplastic Insights
Even Glass Bottles Aren’t Safe: Study Finds Microplastics in Your Favorite Summer Drinks
Microplastics are Carriers of Toxic Additives
Microplastics in Meat: A Hidden Ingredient in Your Dinner?
Microplastics and Reproductive Health: A Growing Concern
Microplastics in the Brain: How They’re Infiltrating Our Bodies
Microplastics Found in Human Breast Milk for the First Time
Microplastics Revealed in the Placentas of Unborn Babies
Microplastics Found in Human Blood for the First Time
What can we do about it?
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Stop Microplastic Pollution at the Source
Meet CLEANR For Washing machines. CLEANR is an easy-to-install filter that connects to your washing machine and captures over 90% of microplastics before they pollute our waterways. Protect our environment, your body, and everyone’s future.
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