Microfibres and microbeads

Boaters love fleeces. What harm can they possibly do?

Polyester, nylon and acrylic materials are the primary components of fleeces and give them their strength. Wool and cotton fibres are biodegradable but these man-made fabrics are not. Mark Brown, senior research associate at the University of New South Wales, claims microfibres make up 85% of man-made waste littering the world’s shorelines.

What are microfibres?

They are tiny shreds shed from all kinds of fabric during washing. The University of California estimates that synthetic fleeces shed 1.7g of plastic fibres less than a millimetre in length every time they are washed. That’s a million of these fibres. Older garments are even worse.

Aren’t these fibres caught by the machine’s filter?

No, they’re too small for the machine’s own filter to trap them and even the wastewater treatment plants let through an estimated 40% of them. These microfibres then end up in rivers, lakes and seas where they are ingested by marine life, causing long-term environmental damage. Abigail Barrows, principal investigator with the Global Plastics Initiative, says that the problem is as bad in fresh water as in salt water.

How do they know that?

Fibres found on shorelines match with material used in clothing; polyester, acrylic and nylon. Mermaids, a programme co-financed by the Life+ 2013 programme of the European Union, aims to mitigate the environmental impact of micro and nanoplastic particles resulting from laundry wastewater on European ecosystems. It hopes to achieve this through new additives and textile finishing treatments for the laundry processes.

I thought microbeads were the problem

The tiny pieces of plastic used in cosmetic products such as face wash and body scrub were and still are the focus of a major campaign. A single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles being released into the ecosystem meaning up to 86 tonnes of microbeads are washed into the marine environment from the UK alone every year.

Why is focus shifting to microfibres?

Because the campaign against microbeads has already led to them being banned in the US and in September, Theresa May’s government responded to calls from MPS and a 357,000-strong petition by announcing plans to ban them from products such as face scrubs and toothpastes (but not washing powders and floor cleaners) before the end of 2017.

What harm are fibres and beads to marine life?

Marine life such as plankton, mussels, oysters and shrimp mistake the fibres for food, causing stunted growth and other deformities. These animals are then eaten by larger fish, rising up through the food chain and on to our own plates. Nowadays, there is one microplastic particle found in every gram of mussel meat, often from clothing, according to research.

What’s being done about the problem?

Princess Yachts has recently signed an agreement with the Marine Conservation Society to support its work and reduce the Plymouth yard’s own environmental impact. Princess marketing director Kiran Haslam says, “Billions of us take pleasure in the marine environment every day – whether in it, on it or enjoying it from afar. That unique experience of being on the water is what supports our industry so we are delighted with the success of the Marine Conservation Society’s campaign against microplastics which are harming our marine life and oceans.

“We are also looking to the future to continue to reduce our impact on the environment through production innovations and improved product designs, and we hope that our efforts encourage other businesses to follow suit as well.”

How can boaters help?

The Green Blue, a joint environment programme created by the Royal Yachting Association and British Marine, is urging boat owners to consider buying wool or cotton instead of synthetics, and avoid using products that contain microbeads.

Project manager Jane Swan says, “As boaters, we all have a vested interest in protecting the environment where we spend our leisure time. Grey water discharge from sinks and showers can be very damaging to sensitive aquatic life. There are a number of publications which list the scrubs that do and do not have microbeads in them, the most up to date being Fauna & Flora International’s Good Scrub Guide”.

Is there a danger to humans?

The long-term effects on humans are not yet fully known. For advice on how to maintain, equip and operate your boat in an environmentally friendly manner, visit www.thegreen blue.org. uk/boat-users.

The fleece is a feature of every motor boater’s wardrobe, yet this versatile garment is now accused of adding to the plastic soup polluting the world’s water systems and entering the food chain Plankton, mussels, oysters and shrimp mistake the fibres for food, causing stunted growth