Last month, Democratic New York City Councilman James Gennaro submitted a bill It would change the way countless New Yorkers do laundry by banning laundry detergent pods.
More specifically, the bill, titled „Pods Are Plastic,“ would ban dishwashing and laundry detergent pods coated with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a type of plastic that breaks down when soaked in water. is suggesting. Laundry and soap companies have long claimed that PVA coatings are completely safe and 100% biodegradable, but supporters of the bill say neither claim is true.
„Products and profits should not come at the expense of the environment,“ Sara Paige Yu, co-founder of plastic-free cleaning products company Blueland, said in a statement. Blueland, which makes PVA-free laundry tablets and dishwasher tablets, helped write the bill and has been a vocal critic of PVA for years. In 2022, the company will Petition to EPA Removing PVA from the list of chemicals deemed safe for use. (EPA request denied last year. )
The „Pods Are Plastic'' bill faces an uncertain outlook in the New York City Council. But even if passed, this bill would have only a modest effect on mitigating laundry-related microplastic pollution. Research shows that billions of plastic microfibers are shed from our clothes every day when we put them on, wash them, and dry them. And even more microplastics are released upstream, where clothing is manufactured.
„This is a multifaceted problem,“ says Judith Weiss, professor emeritus of biological sciences at Rutgers University. To solve this, environmentalists are calling for more systemic solutions. In addition to banning PVA, new laws require washing machine filters, better clothing design, and a shift away from fast fashion.
Long before consumers crack open a container of Tide Pods, their laundry is already starting to generate microplastic pollution.That's some 60 percent of clothing Today it is made of plastic. Polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex – these are all just different types of plastic fabrics derived from fossil fuels.And more plastic clothing could be coming from fossil fuel companies. Transition to plastic production In response to the world's transition away from the use of fossil fuels in power generation and transportation.
largely media Note has focused on microplastics that come off from clothes during washing. There's a good reason for that. According to someone, 2019 survey According to Nature magazine, washing machines can produce up to 1.5 million plastic microfibers for every kilogram of fabric washed. Some are too small to fit into standard washing machine filters. 200,000-500,000 tons These microfibers end up in wastewater every year and end up in the marine environment. This represents about one-third of all microplastics that enter the world's oceans directly.
![orange tub of tide pods on shelf](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/tide-pods-on-shelf.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
![orange tub of tide pods on shelf](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/tide-pods-on-shelf.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
Alex Tai / Sopa Images / LightRocket, Getty Images
Marine microplastics are associated with a variety of problems. Adverse health effects In marine animals, these include stunting, reproductive problems, genetic damage, and inflammation. Weiss said these observations are alarming in and of themselves — „I'm concerned about the marine animals themselves,“ she told Grist — but they're also concerning. It may also affect the health of humans who may eat such seafood. Researchers have discovered that microplastics are present in people's bodies. brain, Blood flow, kidneyand recently, 62 of 62 placentas tested — and it's not yet clear what the impact will be.
but, As Grist reported last year, there are still many ways microplastics can leak through clothing. For example, just wearing plastic clothing causes wear and tear, which then releases microplastics into the air.Some researchers believe that this is actually the cause More microplastic pollution than doing laundry. Researchers estimate that one person's normal clothing use can release more than 900 million microfibers annually, while washing only releases 300 million microfibers. .
And then there's the manufacturing stage, which is probably the least understood source of plastic microfiber pollution. Every part of the clothing manufacturing process can release microplastics, from the initial polymerization of natural gas and oil to the actual weaving, knitting, and subsequent processes that turn fabric into clothing.according to 2021 White Paper Billions of plastic microfiber particles are released into industrial wastewater every day due to wear and tear from dyeing, printing, and prewashing clothing, according to the nonprofit organization The Nature Conservancy and consulting firm Bain & Company. However, not all of these particles are destroyed or filtered by the wastewater. process.
The white paper estimates that approximately 120,000 tonnes of microplastics are released into the environment each year from the production of textile products prior to consumer consumption. This is less than when doing laundry or wearing clothes, but it's the same order of magnitude.
At the other end of the textile life cycle, synthetic fibers have even more opportunities to emit microplastics. Textiles that are discarded and incinerated can release microfibers and harmful chemicals into the air, and textiles that are littered or sent to landfills can be released into the soil. . Earthworms and other creatures Transport these microplastics It penetrates deeper layers of the soil, where it is more likely to contaminate groundwater.
“While it is absolutely important to ensure that losses that occur during the wear and wash stages are addressed, it is even more important to ensure that microfiber contamination is addressed throughout the lifecycle,” said Alexis Jackson, Associate Director. says. The Nature Conservancy's California Marine Program.
![A woman takes out the laundry from the washing machine.](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/laundromat.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
![A woman takes out the laundry from the washing machine.](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/laundromat.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images
Unlike other sources of microplastic pollution, detergent pods are intentionally added to laundry.Its origins lie in Procter & Gamble's currentinfamous PVA-coated Tide Pods — described at the time as the company's product Laundry's biggest innovation In a quarter century. His PVA design, which is said to have taken him eight years to come up with, was truly revolutionary. We separated the detergent, brightener, and fabric softener into separate chambers so they don't mix before entering the wash cycle. Also, unlike previous designs, PVA film dissolves in both hot and cold water.
Over the past nine years, the market value of laundry detergent pods in the United States has increased by 36%; $3.25 billion; predicted to exceed $3.5 billion by 2025.
To protect this growth, laundry industry trade associations are assuring consumers that the pod's PVA plastic coating biodegrades and has no negative impact on people or the ecosystem. The American Cleaning Association, which represents U.S. cleaning product companies such as Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson Co., and Unilever, fight “When exposed to moisture and microorganisms, PVA breaks down into non-toxic components, making it a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.”
However, some experts disagree. In particular, 2021 literature review A study conducted by researchers at Arizona State University and commissioned by Blueland found that less than a quarter of the PVA that reaches wastewater treatment plants actually breaks down. 77%, or approximately 8,000 tonnes per year, is released unchanged into the environment. That's not because PVA isn't broken down by microorganisms. It's just that the appropriate microorganisms are often not present in the wastewater treatment plant, or the PVA doesn't stay in the plant long enough to actually break down.according to the study Sponsored by the cleaning products industry association, it can take 28 days for at least 60 percent of PVA to break down and 60 days for 90 percent to break down.
Charles Rolsky, co-author of the BlueLand-funded study and now a senior scientist at the Shaw Institute, said, „There is no wastewater treatment facility in the United States where water remains with these microbes for nearly 28 days.'' No,” he said. Institute in Maine, told the Washington Post “It could be a week at most, but more realistically it could be days or hours.”
In response to Grist's request for comment, the American Cleaning Industry Association denounced „Blueland's ongoing misinformation campaign“ and called New York City's bill banning PVA „unnecessary.“A spokesperson for the industry group confirmed to Grist that previously released statements and online charts The researchers found that the type of PVA used in laundry detergent pods was of higher quality than the PVA analyzed in the Blueland-funded study, and that laundry pod PVA „was It is completely soluble and biodegradable.”
Procter & Gamble introduced Mr. Grist to the American Cleaning Council's communications team.
![ZARA storefront and people walking in front of it](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Zara-store.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
![ZARA storefront and people walking in front of it](https://grist.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Zara-store.jpg?quality=75&strip=all)
Budrul Chukrut / Sopa Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
Solving the microplastic problem in clothing requires a variety of solutions. Currently, the hottest topic is washing machine filters that conscientious consumers can install in their homes. The best filter currently available is, in theory, ~ more than 80 percent Microplastics for laundry. Filter adjacent technology — cola ball or guppy friend bag You may even be able to put it in the washing machine with your laundry.
In a few states, considered law Require home appliance manufacturers to install filters or encourage the purchase of filters. consumer rebates.Some companies — like samsung – We are trying to get ahead of potential regulations by devising unique filter technology that can be installed on standard machines.Others are designing washing machines Built-in micro plastic filter.
Meanwhile, scientists are trying to design clothes that don't shed as many microfibers in the first place.with thread More twists and weave constructionFor example, fabrics that are cut with heat and lasers (as opposed to scissors) tend to emit less microfibers.
„I'm optimistic that science can solve this problem,“ said Juan Hinestroza, a professor of textile science and apparel design at Cornell University. With enough research funding, he believes it could be possible within a generation to design synthetic clothing that releases very little microplastics.
But perhaps the most comprehensive solution would be to fully regulate and limit the use of plastics in clothing and laundry applications. The fast fashion industry in particular contributes significantly to the microplastic problem, if only because of the amount of synthetic clothing it produces. Weiss said it's time to hold major apparel companies accountable for the release of microplastics from their products through the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, which holds companies financially responsible for the trash and pollution they create.New York State is currently considering such a lawThat said, it's mostly related to packaging, not clothing or microplastics. Weiss also called for limits on plastics in general as part of that effort. global plastic treaty Currently negotiating at the United Nations.
Yoo supports similar solutions. But in the meantime, she continues to push for a New York City bill to ban PVA. “This bill is about more than just pods,” she said. „I get that people say, 'This isn't the biggest problem,' but I think this can be a very important starting point. It sends an important signal to companies that they should not be designed to do so.”