Fourth Element Washing Bag

Remediation Strategy

Prevention

Plastic Type

Microplastics

Invention Category

Laundry

Used?

Pilot

Included in analysis?

Yes

Location Invented

United Kingdom

Year^*

2018

Description

Laundry mesh bag to fill with clothes and then add to the washing drum to prevent microfibers leakage. Designed for fleece garments which typically shed more microfibers.

Effectiveness or Ecological Impact

Non-peer-reviewed Effectiveness

It trapped 21% of fibers (Carrington, 2021).

Peer-reviewed Effectiveness

It captures 21 ± 9% of microfibers (Napper et al., 2020).

References

Carrington, D. (2021, December 30). Companies race to stem flood of microplastic fibres into the oceans. The Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/30/companies-race-to-stem-flood-of-microplastic-fibres-into-the-oceans

Peer-reviewed Effectiveness

Napper, I. E., Barrett, A. C., & Thompson, R. C. (2020). The efficiency of devices intended to reduce microfibre release during clothes washing. Science of The Total Environment, 738, 140412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140412

* Year designates the year invented; if the year invented was unavailable, the earliest year that an article about the technology was published was used.