Your clothes are shedding bits of plastic. Here’s what people are doing about it

Plastic is a common material found in clothing and textiles, shedding microfibers into the environment during washing and drying processes. These fibers can end up in waterways and harm marine life. To combat this issue, experts suggest washing clothes less frequently and using cold water to reduce fiber shedding. Innovative solutions like laundry balls and washing bags that capture fibers are also being developed to address the problem. Companies like Patagonia are leading the way in creating sustainable fabrics that shed fewer microfibers. Efforts to mandate microfiber filters in washing machines have faced challenges, but progress is being made to find solutions to reduce synthetic fiber waste.