Cleaning up the washing

Scientists at Flinders University have been testing a washing machine filter that could help protect waterways from polyester and other synthetic microparticles.

Microplastics are plastic particles less than 5mm wide, and they break down further to nanoparticles. A single laundry load containing synthetic clothing can release thousands of plastic microfibres from nylon, acrylic and polyester materials.

In South Australia alone, degrading plastic waste is progressively building up in local coastal areas including Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent, which covers vital marine park areas and commercial fisheries.

The Flinders testing confirmed the device’s ability to remove nanoparticles up to 20 micrometres in size – invisible to the naked eye – as well as larger microplastic pieces.

According to Dr Anastasiia Snigirova, from the Nano and Microplastics Research Consortium (NMRC) at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering, polyester fibres are among the most common microplastics polluting our environment.

“Their main source is the textiles we wash every day in households and commercial laundries”, Snigirova says.

“Our initial trials showed a dramatic reduction of fibres in wash water, demonstrating the strong potential of this technology.”

The researchers are also now developing a novel approach to enhance nanoplastic capture on cellulose filters using a plasma polymer coating.

In Europe, new regulations are already addressing this problem, preventing hundreds of tonnes of fibres from entering waterways each year. Since January 2025, all washing machines sold in France must include microplastic filters under the 2020 Anti-Waste Law regulations. Australia is taking a range of steps under the National Plastics Plan.

Adelaide-based environmental company, The Goodside Project, has responded by designing the washing machine filters that capture microplastics before they reach our rivers and oceans.

Founder and CEO Karen Jones Hauser says the company is keen to combat the rising problem of plastic pollution in oceans and local watercourses with its invention, including a new collaboration with another SA startup, Alkany, which is developing new biotechnology that uses bacteria to break down synthetic polymers into compost and biogas.

Alkany chief scientist David Thompson says breaking down plastic waste biologically creates multiple reuse opportunities, rather than sending plastics to landfill or incineration.