Read the WI’s new report
NFWI have launched In a Spin, a report exploring the contribution of our laundry habits to plastic pollution in the oceans and wider environment. The report also outlines ways WI members can make a difference on pages 17 and 18.
To find out more, download the report. In a Spin
Microplastic fibres are small plastic fragments 5mm or smaller that are shed from synthetic clothes when laundered and end up in the sea and wider environment.
The scale of the problem is large; millions of people wash their clothes every week, shedding these tiny particles that are too small to be caught by the machine’s filters, flowing into the sewage system and eventually into the ocean.
Due to their small size microplastic fibres are readily ingested by aquatic life, filling up their stomachs which can eventually cause death. We also know that these fibres are ending up in the food we eat, the long term effects of which are not yet clear.
With a 98.9% majority, delegates voted overwhelmingly to support the resolution. The End Plastic Soup campaign calls for research and the development of solutions to prevent the detrimental environmental impact microplastic fibres are having on the environment.
36 BILLION LOADS OF CLOTHES ARE WASHED EVERY YEAR IN EUROPE
Over a million tonnes of clothing was purchased in the UK in 2016
By 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish
As a first step in the campaign, the NFWI has produced an action pack outlining the issue and how members can get involved:
- Learn more and raise awareness, watch ‘A Plastic Tide’ Sky’s documentary looking at the scale of ocean plastic waste.
- Register your interest in taking part in NFWI research to help understand the scale of the issue.
- Hold an awareness day in your community
- Hand out our A5 checklist which outlines ways in which you can make a difference in the home.
- Download the Plastic Soup Action Pack as a PDF
- Write to your MP
- Send our template letter to call on your MP to raise awareness of the issue. Please let us know if you receive a response from your MP by emailing
- Download the MP Letter Template as a Word Document