Best Six Solutions to Reduce Microplastics at Home (According to FUSH˚)

Even though we at FUSH˚ are doing everything in our power to make our manufacturing as sustainable as possible, one worrying fact remains – we use synthetic fibres that contribute to the creation of microplastics. It’s something we’re not happy to be involved with but we’d be less happy if we flat-out refused to address it. That’s why this article talks about microplastic filters and other solutions for these tiny fibres that can be harmful to the environment.

But first, let’s learn more about the issue at hand.

What are microplastics?

Microplastics are all plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. You can usually find them in:

• Washing machines due to the pilling of synthetic fibres under friction
• In bodies of water and landfills as a result of decomposing plastic waste
• Near roads and highways as a result of tyre wear

Some researchers found microplastics in places such as the Swiss Alps and even the Arctic, so you can find them anywhere. In fact, research by the Pew Charitable Trust Fund from 2016 showed that 11% of all plastic waste belongs to microplastics. There’s a realistic chance for these figures to double by 2040, due to the current inaction to stifle this pollutant.

What can you do to reduce microplastics?

You can wear clothing from natural fibres. But if you need clothing for exercise or sports, there’s still no better fabric than polyester, when it comes to performance so another solution will have to be found.

Thankfully, there are very effective solutions that restrict almost 100% of microplastics from making it out of your washing machine. Here are our top six picks:

1. PlanetCare – a microplastic filter that you install between the washer and the drain. It lasts up to 20 washes but is completely upcyclable
2. Filtrol – a microplastic filter with the same installation as PlanetCare but one filter lasts up to two years
3. MicroPlastics LUV R – it stands out because you’ll never have to change it and it’s aimed at the American market
4. Guppyfriend microplastic filter – same concept as the filter before it but aimed at the European market
5. Guppyfriend laundry bags – washing bags that keep microplastics inside them
6. Cora Ball – coral-shaped balls that go into the washer with clothes and draw in loose microfibers from the water

Depending on where you’re located, some of these products will be more available than others. If you’re from Europe, you’ll get PlanetCare and Guppyfriend the easiest. If you’re from North America, Filtrol, MicroPlastics LUV R and Cora Ball are your go-to solutions.

Don’t get us wrong, they’re all available worldwide, it’s just that we advise you to opt for the solutions that require the least mileage to get to you.

Now that you know a bit more about what you can do to battle microplastics, let’s see each solution in more detail.

PlanetCare – 90% efficiency and 95% upcyclability

Image source: planetcare.org

This microplastic filter is the only one on the list that uses multiple chambers to capture microplastics. That’s why it manages to capture particles as little as 0.2 microns and 1000 microns and that’s why PlanetCare’s efficacy rate is 90%.

This efficacy comes at a price of a relatively short “shelf life” – you’d have to change a filter after 20 washes. Thankfully, PlanetCare ensured that their filters are 95% upcyclable. The remaining 5% is recyclable so it truly is a zero-waste product.

To fulfil this potential, PlanetCare runs an upcycling programme for its customers, where you’d send them back the six microplastic filters you’ve used and get back six new ones (each first order includes the installation kit and six filters).

PlanetCare filters went through three independent tests that the following three institutes carried out:

1. National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2. National Research Council, Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, Pozzuoli, Italy
3. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency

One additional perk of PlanetCare – there’s a version for professional laundries. This means that even if you don’t use a washing machine at your place, you can still find a way to put a stop to this type of microplastics.

How do you install the PlanetCare filter?

Much easier than any IKEA assembly, that’s for sure. When you buy your first set of PlanetCare microplastic filters, you get:

1 housing top with a cup
1 holder
4 screws
1 tube (1.5m)
1 silicone lubricant
1 counter
3 or more filter cartridges

The process is super simple:

• Attach the housing top to the holder with the four screws
• Stick them to the washing machine or the wall (there’s adhesive tape, so you won’t have to use the screwdriver, even though there are holes for those of you who like to commit to one place)
• Connect them to both the machine and the drain
• Put the filter in the cup and screw the cup and the filter to the housing top
• Stand back and look at the wonderful work you’ve done

Take a look at their video if these instructions weren’t clear enough.

PlanetCare Pricing

Mini starter kit equipment: 1 housing top with a cup, 1 holder, 4 screws, 1 tube (1.5m), 1 silicone lubricant, 1 counter, 3 cartridges
Mini starter kit price: €59.9 + shipping

XXL starter kit equipment: everything from mini + 3 extra cartridges
XXL starter kit price: €144 + shipping

There’s also the subscription plan that costs €7.5/month with a compulsory six-month subscription. With it, you get new 12 filters even before you’ve used your last one. At the moment, this perk is reserved only for customers from the EU and the UK.

The subscription plan makes sense for families with small children. Caring for your wee ones includes a lot of laundry and if you belong to this group, you’ll go through these filters much faster.

Advantages of PlanetCare microplastic filters

• Still the most efficient widely available microplastic filter on the market
• Still the only solution with the multi-chamber filtering system
• Tested by the three independent institutions
• Their product is fully upcyclable/recyclable
• A subscription plan significantly reduces their price
• Too simple assembly and installation
• PlanetCare plans to use the fibres these filters collect as insulation
• It doesn’t need electricity to work
• Tutorial for assembly and mounting available on the website

Disadvantages of PlanetCare microplastic filters

Luckily, there are fewer disadvantages and none of them fully affect the functionality of these filters. The disadvantages:

• There are no links to actual scientific research on the efficiency of their microplastic filters
• They could be more transparent on how exactly they handle the microplastics from the filters their customers return
• Even though PlanetCare advertises that each filter lasts up to 20 washes, in reality, filters last less than that because the advertised lifetime only works in the polyester-only loads and in homes without pets that could leave their hair on the clothes
• The advantages of the subscription programme aren’t clearly explained on the website

Our verdict

PlanetCare microplastic filters are more than a good ally in your battle against this silent enemy. These filters have the highest registered efficiency when compared to their competitors (90%!). Also, they’re still the only ones in the market that offer multi-chamber filtration.

They could improve the lifetime of each filter because having to change one after 20 washes isn’t as sustainable as it could be, even if 95% of the used filters are reused and 5% are recycled.

Since we’re based in Europe, buying this product makes the most sense to us, purely on the proximity basis and the fact that PlanetCare would travel the least to help us tackle microplastics.

Filtrol – a microplastic filter of longevity

Why a microplastic filter of longevity, you ask? Well, because a Filtrol filter bag lasts you up to two years.

Also, openings on the filter bags are incredibly tiny – just 0.1 mm! That’s why Filtrol model 160 has an 89% filtration rate, which the research by The Rochman laboratory from the University in Toronto confirms.

Price of longevity

Being that you’ll change filter bags every 18 months, you can consider Filtrol’s price of $139.9 an excellent investment. After the initial spend on the entire kit and filters, you’ll spend between $12.95 and $45.99 on filter bags. Unfortunately, there’s no way to calculate delivery costs on their website and you’ll have to wait for Filtrol’s support team to do it manually.

In addition to the price, there’s some labour included in making sure this filter is operating optimally. After 8-10 washes, you’d have to clean the filter bags. Here’s a walkthrough video that explains the correct way to clean Filtrol microplastic filter bags.

The Filtrol 160 package

Here’s what you get when you buy a Filtrol microplastic filter:

• Canister with O-ring and the lid
• Filter bags
• Almost all mounting equipment (wall bracket, elbow fittings, clamps, hoses, silicone grease)

Dimensions of the filter: height 38 cm, width 23 cm, depth 20 cm

Mounting and putting Filtrol 160 in action

Image source: filtrol.net

Unlike PlanetCare, mounting Filtrol takes the skills of an experienced IKEA shopper. Still, the whole process isn’t that complicated. One important thing to remember is that Filtrol must stand above the drain pipe or the bathtub. That’s because Filtrol uses the force of gravity to do its magic.

Find the entire process in this video.

Advantages of Filtrol 160 microplastic filter

• Long-lasting filter bags (lifetime of up to two years)
• 89% efficient, confirmed by independent lab testing
• Uses only gravity to work

Disadvantages of Filtrol 160 microplastic filter

• No information about the composition of filter bags
• There’s no link to the tutorial videos on the Filtrol website
• No info about delivery costs
• If you don’t have the fitting screws and duck tape, you won’t be able to use Filtrol
• They don’t offer a recycling/upcycling programme for the filter bags
• Filtrol as a company doesn’t partake in any environmental initiatives

The verdict

If only it had a higher level of transparency, Filtrol would be able to give its competitors a real run for their money. We believe they have a great product that they haven’t adequately presented to an increasingly conscious public.

Still, with the incredibly high efficiency of 89%, we’d definitely buy it if we were living in the Americas.

MicroPlastic LUV R filter – a one-time investment

Source: environmentalenhancements.com

This microplastic fighter can be passed down through generations. That’s right, you won’t have to change it ever and it will still throw punches at all the microplastics your clothes throw at it.

It achieves that with a stainless steel filter with openings 1.5 mm in diameter. In a similar vein to how Filtrol functions, MicroPlastic LUV R also performs at its optimum when it already catches some microplastics.

Canadian company Environmental Enhancements, who are behind this microplastic filter says that its efficiency is between 87% and 100%. Unfortunately, they don’t have a single study to back the claim with.

It’s the most “labour-intensive” microplastic filter because you’d have to clean the mesh after 2-3 washes otherwise it will gradually lose its efficiency or even worse, cause a water leak.

Assembly and installation

Assembly and installation are a bit complicated but a video with thorough instructions is available on the Environmental Enhancements website. The process is a bit overwhelming but if you take it step by step, you can be done in 10-15 minutes.

The kit comes with everything needed to install it on a horizontal surface. If you’d like to mount MicroPlastic LUV R on a wall, you’d have to shell out an additional $20 or go full DIY.

Filter dimensions: length 32 cm, width 25 cm.

Pricing

A filter that you can mount on a horizontal surface with all the necessary equipment costs $190 without shipping. Some of the spare parts are available separately. Unfortunately, the filter head as a spare part isn’t available.

Advantages of Microplastic LUV R

• Filter that you won’t have to change during its lifetime
• It’s made of the most sustainable material on the list – stainless steel
• Tutorials for assembly are incredibly helpful
• It has an alleged 87% efficiency rate

Drawbacks of Microplastic LUV R

• Efficiency isn’t tested by an independent 3rd party
• The most complicated assembly and installation on the list
• You’d have to clean it once a week
• Not all parts are available for purchase

The verdict

If Environmental Enhancements could find a lab that would test the MicroPlastic LUV R for efficiency, they’d be able to compete with other microplastic filters. Sadly, because we have to take their word for it, they must be the last choice when it comes to microplastic filters.

Still, with openings of 1.5 mm in diameter, it’s safe to assume that this product can put a serious dent in the microplastic emissions from your washing machine. However, to tackle microplastics seriously, we’d rather go with the competitors.

Guppyfriend microplastic filter – the closest you’ll come to eternity

Source: guppyfriend.com

Guppyfriend started their microplastics-battling journey with laundry bags but they continued it with microplastic filters. The reason this one is so far down the list is because there’s no data on its efficiency. Also, this filter is more labour intensive than PlanetCare and Filtrol but you wouldn’t ever have to change it once installed. All you have to do is clean it regularly. Pretty much, a European version of the Microplastic LUV R.

How much is the filter?

It comes at a pretty low price of €79, being that it is intended to be used indefinitely. Also, they clearly show shipping costs so you know exactly how much you’ll pay to start fighting microplastics with Guppyfriend. The only snag is that they only do pre-orders, so you’ll wait a while for your package to arrive.

What do you get?

1. Filter case with blue locking ring*
2. Filter cartridge – 150 μm*
3. Spring*,
4. Mounting bracket
5. Hose 200 cm
6. Hose clamps
7. Hose connector*
8. Key (to open/close the case),
9. Ring filter with handle
10. Brush (for cleaning the cartridge)
11. 2 pcs. screws and 2 pcs. (for wall mounting)
12. 4 screws (for fastening the filter case to the mounting bracket)

Advantages of Guppyfriend microplastic filter

• It’s affordable
• You won’t have to reorder any part for it unless you break it, it’s built to last long
• It’s made in Europe
• It’s see-through, so you’ll know when to clean it

Disadvantages of Guppyfriend microplastic filter

• It’s difficult to assemble and requires that you have a drill at hand
• It sells only as a pre-order so you’ll wait to get one longer than for other products on the list
• No research has been done to show its efficiency

The verdict

If you are a handy person or know a handy person, Guppyfriend can be a great choice. Once you overcome the hurdle of the filter assembly, it’s a pretty neat piece of technology against microplastics. The only real snag is the lack of research that shows its efficiency. But we believe that is something Guppyfriend will update eventually. We say it because the next product comes from the same company and has independent research to show for it.

Guppyfriend laundry bags – reduce pilling, reduce microplastics

Image source: guppyfriend.com

Guppyfriend washing bag is the only product on this list that tackles the primary cause of microplastics in garments head-on – fabric pilling. By reducing the presence of this harmful pollutant, these laundry bags also extend the life of your garments. Further along the path, this means you’ll buy fewer clothes and consequently tackle another harmful practice for the environment – overconsumption.

Guppyfriend as a company is the only one on the list that publicly speaks about what organization they support financially. The organization is called Stop!MicroWaste – a German NGO that actively works on educating the public on the topic of microplastics and what we as individuals can do to reduce our contribution to its creation.

Honesty above everything

Not only that they actively contribute to a world free from microplastics, but Guppyfriend is also the most honest company on the list when it comes to disclosing details about their product.

Because their laundry bags are too made from polyester, they went the extra mile to explain why their bags don’t shed microplastics. And what they say about it makes a whole lot of sense.

Whatever question you might have about how Guppyfriend works, you’re likely to find an answer on their FAQ page.

Also, unlike the rest of the list, they are open about where the manufacturing of their laundry bags takes place.

Just like PlanetCare, Guppyfriend too tested its product with the help of the following three independent organizations (info available on their FAQ page):

• German Textile Research Centre North-West, DTNW
• Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT
• University of California at Santa Barbara as part of the Patagonia research programme

Finally, Guppyfriend is the only company that shares the research results on its website.

Results of the test

According to the test by the DTNW, openings on the bags shrink by 17% after ten washes, which increases their efficiency. To those of you who worry Guppyfriend will create more microplastics, have no fear – even after 17 thousand revs in a washing machine, this laundry bag showed no signs of damage. If that doesn’t prove it is wear-resistant, we don’t know what does.

Special fibres make Guppyfriend wear-resistant

The result from the DTNW test shouldn’t come as a surprise because Guppyfriend’s manufacturers used a special type of polyester yarn, usually found in industrial textiles – monofilament yarn.

Monofilament yarn consists of just one long fibre, or filament so therefore the name and the durability. As such, it can’t shed in the same fashion a multifilament yarn does, as it has no fibres that can unbundle and tear.

How to use Guppyfriend laundry bags?

To achieve the most with your Guppyfriend bags, keep synthetic and mixed fibres in one bag and natural fibres in another. We’d also suggest using these bags if you decide to risk putting wool in the washer – they’ll increase the life of your woolly garments.

For additional protection of your clothes and their fibres, Guppyfriend suggests washing cycles not higher than 40°C and using liquid detergent.

The lifetime of one Guppyfriend laundry bag

If you follow the instructions to a t, one bag can last you as long as 50 washes before it starts decreasing its efficiency.

Pricing

A 50 x 74 cm laundry bag costs €29.75 plus €4 for transport. Since you can use it up to 50 times, that means it costs you around 70 euro cents per wash. Not that expensive, considering you’re actively contributing to a world with fewer microfibers.

Advantages of Guppyfriend

Even though we’ve already mentioned them all, here’s a list of all the benefits of using Guppyfriend laundry bags:

• Guppyfriend can contain up to 90% microfibres and it has lab test results to prove it
• It becomes even more efficient after ten washes, as the pores decrease in size by 17%
• Reduces pilling, which directly reduces microplastic emissions
• Doesn’t release microplastics on its own because of its monofilament structure
• The FAQ section on their website covers almost all questions a worried potential customer could ask
• Guppyfriend doesn’t hide its supply chain, everything is made in Portugal, Poland and Germany
• Their laundry bags come in recyclable carton packaging
• The bag itself is 100% recyclable

Disadvantages of Guppyfriend

• Unfortunately, there’s no way to upcycle the laundry bags
• Clothes come out soggy out of Guppyfriend and that’s not ideal for bigger families that require the laundry process to be as streamlined as possible
• Even though they’re the only ones who shared the test results, still they only shared the test results from just one research (we’re splitting hairs here, we know)

The verdict

There are many reasons why you should use Guppyfriend laundry bags and no reasons why you shouldn’t. They are a great installation-free solution against microplastics and they extend the life of your wardrobe. Even though it’ll take you longer to dry clothes from this laundry bag, the silver lining here is that you’d use it mostly for synthetic clothes that dry out faster anyway.

Just please don’t use a drier, it defeats the purpose of a sustainable approach to laundry.

Cora Ball – cleaning nature by imitating it

Image source: coraball.com

This literal ball for catching microplastics started as a Kickstarter project by Rachel Z. Miller whose goal was to collect $10k to start mass production of her prototype.

She collected $35k and Cora Ball is now available worldwide to everyone willing to fight the silent enemy that is microplastics.

Cora Ball is shaped like a coral and as such it attracts and retains microplastic fibres. Even though this is a genius idea, it’s not very efficient – it can collect up to 31% of microplastics from one wash. Still, it’s much better than nothing. The company does suggest using up to three balls at a time if you have a bigger washing machine. For most cases, however, they suggest using only one.

They also suggest keeping it overall sustainable and using only cold cycles (30 °C) as well as using only liquid detergent.

Low efficiency = low price

Being that it can catch no more than 31% of microplastics, Cora Ball does that at a more than fair price of $38.99 and it will last you over three years. We suggest that you and your friends order in bulk to get a discount and pay just one shipping fee. Cora Ball offers a discount on eight pieces and sells them for $275.

Cora Ball advantages

• Can last over three years and doesn’t create additional microplastics
• The easiest use – throw it in, take it out
• Cora Ball’s website is the only one that shares external links to the 3rd party tests of its product (Marine Pollution Bulletin, Science of the Total Environment)
• It can withstand higher temperatures so you can use it in a drier, even though you shouldn’t use a drier if you’re serious about sustainability
• You’ll clean it easily and not as frequently as, say Microplastic LUV R

Cora Ball drawbacks

• Not efficient enough as a stand-alone solution against microplastics
• You’d have to separate lingerie and other clothes that could get tangled in a Cora Ball to ensure its optimal performance
• The amount of CO2 that shipping generates is too high for any ecologically conscious buyer from Europe to consider Cora Ball

The verdict

Cora Ball is a great supplemental solution for your anti-microplastics campaign and that’s about it. It wouldn’t hurt to use it together with one of the three filters we’ve mentioned but you absolutely shouldn’t use it as a stand-alone microplastic fighter.

Honourable mentions

In addition to these five amazing products to fight microplastics, we found two more that could become great options in the future.

Grunding FiberCatcher washing machine

This solution comes as an honourable mention because not everyone would be ready to invest in a brand-new washing machine to tackle microplastics. But if you’re in the market for a new washer, Grundig’s FiberCatcher might be the one. This machine comes with a built-in filter. Its efficiency of up to 90% and it comes with a test by the VDE institute.

Xerostech XF1 and XF2 microplastic filters

This is a relatively new microplastic filter brand on the market that supposedly cleans 99% of microplastics. It comes with no replacement cartridges but installation is complicated and might involve external help.

Also, you have to preorder it and get trained on how to install it. There are also no reviews or official test results for the efficiency of these filters, which means you have to take Xerostech’s word for it, which is never ideal. However, you can install it on any washing machine.

Finally, the XF2 is the version for commercial washing machines so they’re already thinking about scaling, which is always great. This one you should keep an eye on, it may turn out to be the best solution out there.

Goodbye, microplastics

Until legislation starts tackling this issue, we can at least reduce our contribution by using some of the products we’ve described. That’s why recycling and using microplastic filters, laundry bags and other microplastic-fighting products is still the best way to go.

Our combo of choice is PlanetCare filter and Guppyfriend laundry bags. Which one is yours?