Water filter on laundry machines captures microfibers when water is drained through the machine.
Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
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Plastics Technology
Lint LUV-R
Remediation Strategy
Plastic Type
Invention Category
Used?
Included in analysis?
Location Invented
Year*
Description
Effectiveness or Ecological Impact
Non-peer-reviewed Effectiveness
On average, Lint-LUV-R captures 87% of microfibers. Lint-LUV-R filters are 65% efficient initially and the efficiency is 100% at saturation (Kart, 2019)
Peer-reviewed Effectiveness
It captures 87% of microfibers (McIlwraith et al., 2019). There is an 80% reduction in microfiber weight after using Lint-LUV-R (McIlwraith et al., 2019). There is a 72% reduction in microfiber length after using Lint-LUV-R (McIlwraith et al., 2019). It captures 29 ± 15% of microfibers (Napper et al., 2020).
References
Kart, J. (2019). Science Says Laundry Balls And Filters Are Effective In Keeping Microfibers Out Of Waterways. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2019/02/01/science-says-laundry-balls-and-filters-are-effective-in-removing-microfibers/; Krieger, A. (2016). Why Innovative Tech Solutions to Clean Up Oceanic Plastic Trash Are Simply Not Enough. AlterNet. https://www.alternet.org/2016/02/why-innovative-tech-solutions-clean-oceanic-plastic-trash-are-simply-not-enough; LINT LUV-R. (n.d.). Retrieved September 6, 2023, from https://environmentalenhancements.com/store/index.php/products/products-lint-filter
Non-peer-reviewed Effectiveness
Kart, J. (2019). Science Says Laundry Balls And Filters Are Effective In Keeping Microfibers Out Of Waterways. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2019/02/01/science-says-laundry-balls-and-filters-are-effective-in-removing-microfibers/
Peer-reviewed Effectiveness
McIlwraith, H. K., Lin, J., Erdle, L. M., Mallos, N., Diamond, M. L., & Rochman, C. M. (2019). Capturing microfibers – marketed technologies reduce microfiber emissions from washing machines. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 139, 40–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.012; 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.