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 )
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?
Clothes in the Washing Machine
Shed Microplastics as They are Spun
Which Get Sent Down the Drain
Polluting Our Water
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.
Do I Have Microplastics in Me?
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.
What are the Health Effects of Microplastics?
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.
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?
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.
