Will you buy a laundry filter so microplastics won’t go to the sea?
Ocean Conservancy released results from a survey of Americans’ attitudes toward ocean plastic pollution and microplastics. The polling was on a nationally representative sample of 1,010 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older. The results revealed a sharp spike in awareness of microplastics since 2023, and large majorities of Americans across the political spectrum are both concerned about the impacts of microplastics and support policies aimed at addressing plastic pollution.
Microplastics are emitted from plastic teeth aligners, they are in our toothbrushes, bubble gum, and in plastic bottled drinking water.
What they found:
- Microplastics are a growing conversation and concern for Americans: since 2023, awareness of microplastics has jumped 32%.
- Nearly 9 in 10 Americans are concerned about the impacts of microplastics; over 6 in 10 are “very” concerned.
- 8 in 10 (81%) Americans support requiring microplastic fiber (also known as plastic microfiber) filters on all new washing machines made in the U.S.
“As a scientist, I am deeply concerned about the impacts of microplastics, and our polling shows that the vast majority of Americans share my concerns,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Director of Plastics Science Dr. Britta Baechler, who has studied plastic pollution for over a decade, including researching microplastics in shellfish and edible proteins, as well as published award-winning peer-reviewed research on the deadliness of plastic ingestion to marine life.
“Microplastics are entering the ocean and environment at an alarming rate, and we simply cannot keep looking the other way – our health, our children’s health, and the health of our planet are at stake.”
It’s true. I went for a dip in the sea last week in Jaffa and a sea of microplastics washed over me. I had to leave.
In animals, ingestion of microplastics has been shown to reduce food consumption, reduce energy for growth, alter gene expression, and block digestive tracts. Microplastic fibers – the most common type of microplastics reported in environmental samples – represent over 90% of microplastics ingested by marine life. Also found throughout the human body, microplastic fibers have been found in the human heart, placenta and other organs.
Some people like biohacker Bryan Johnson are using saunas to get them out of their bodies and testicles. Some companies have sperm testing kits to test for motility and dare we say plastic exposure.
Stop buying cheap plastic clothing
Studies have found that more than one-third of all microplastics in the ocean come from synthetic textiles like clothing. Microplastic fibers are generated across the full lifecycle of clothing, from their manufacture to normal wear and laundering, and in large numbers. For example, up to 18 million microfibers are released from a single load of laundry. Washing machine filters are a proven solution to this problem, capturing up to 90% of microfibers from each load of laundry, preventing them from moving downstream into waterways and the ocean.
“Once in the ocean, microplastics are nearly impossible to remove, so preventing them from reaching the environment in the first place is key,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Director of Plastics Policy Dr. Anja Brandon, an environmental engineer by training who has helped draft landmark state and national legislation regulating plastic pollution in recent years.
“Washing machine filters are a cheap and effective solution we can start using now to address one of the biggest sources of microplastics in the environment. Requiring these filters on new washing machines is a common sense approach that the vast majority of Americans across the political spectrum support.”
The results of this polling coincide with the launch of Ocean Conservancy’s campaign “Not Safe For Wash” to advocate for tackling microplastic fiber pollution by requiring filters on washing machines.
In 2026 alone, five states had washing machine filter legislation under consideration, and in 2025, the Fighting Fibers Act was reintroduced in Congress (originally introduced in 2024).
