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An Easy Solution to a Little, Big Problem

From Syracuse University Broadcast Journalism | 04:18

Microfiber pollution is a big problem around the world that nobody seems to be talking about. One Syracuse University student doesn't want it to go unnoticed any longer, and has a solution for how to cut down on it.

Img_2582_small Microfiber pollution is a big problem around the world that nobody seems to be talking about. One Syracuse University student doesn't want it to go unnoticed any longer, and has a solution for how to cut down on it. 

Microfibers come from synthetic clothing, like polyester, nylon and acrylic. When these clothes are washed, they shed hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces of themselves, called microfibers. These fibers go down the drain and to water treatment facilities, where only 60-90% are caught. So, the fibers that are not caught go directly into our oceans, waterways, and ecosystems.

In the water, they are eaten by fish and shellfish, where they cause immune system problems, and even cancer. When people eat these shellfish and fish, we are consuming those same fibers. Fibers have been found in our agriculture and produce as well.

That is where Keppler and his invention come in. FibreFree is a microfiber trapping device that you throw in the wash with your clothes. Here, the filter inside of FibreFree catches around 40% of microfibers in the water. The ball even follows your clothes into the dryer too, where FibreFree acts as a dryer sheet, reducing drying time and puffing up your clothes. It is a total laundry solution that does not make you change too much of your routine.

While it is too early to tell what kind of impact FibreFree may have, Keppler estimates that if one in ten households use FibreFree, it could rid the ocean of the equivelant of 35 million plastic water bottles per year.