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Plastic microfibers from clothes contaminating oceans

Tuesday, 14 March 2017 4:59 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 14 March 2017 4:59 PM ]

Microplastic fibers from our clothes are polluting the world's oceans

Scientists in the UK have warned that plastic microfibers from clothes are entering the oceans and endangering sea life.

Researchers say hundreds of thousands of the tiny fibers are released into the water every time clothes are washed and eventually end up in the food chain. The microfibers enter the sewage system and eventually end up in the ocean, where they are being ingested by birds and fish. But experts believe the big clothing manufacturers are not doing enough to engage with the problem of plastic microfibers.

According to an environmental consulting group, 190,000 tons of plastic microfibers enter the ocean every year. It’s considerably more than the 35,000 metric tons of plastic that come from micro-beads in cosmetic products, which hit the headlines in 2016.

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