Product Feature - Guppyfriend
July 07, 2019
It is the #plasticfree month of the year! And I am utilising this opportunity to discuss plastic pollution in every form.
Thinking of plastic pollution, everyone talks about single-use plastics and how plastic has silently replaced a lot of goodness in our lives. We can all try to avoid or reuse visible plastic but what about the one not visible to naked eyes? Micro-plastics and plastic fibres!
Photodegraded plastic reduced to micro-plastics, plastic fibres from synthetic clothing and micro-plastic beads from toiletries / cosmetic products are just some examples of micro-plastics. These micro plastics are settled, in unimaginable quantities, on our ocean beds, furthering to contamination of seashores, across the world. What follows is plastic in your sea-food! It has been concluded by the scientists, that by 2050 the oceans will have more plastic than fish, if we continue our plastic usage and unhealthy disposal methods. We should understand that these invisible micro-plastics eventually reach our tap-water, bringing a bigger health risk upon us! Unfortunately due to the size (sometimes less than 5mm), they cannot be filtered through water treatment.
Exactly like the microfibres from synthetic clothing! Let's not forget, synthetic plastic based micro-fibres like acrylic, nylon and polyester, released in 100,000s, every time we wash a synthetic fabric. The count reduces with the number of washes but what is important is not the figure of the plastic fibres but the fact that they are best avoided. These microfibres not only bypass the water treatment but become fodder for the ocean animals.
Now, how to tackle this? Simple. Refuse synthetic clothing. It is ideal to not use synthetic fabrics as even recycling them is not useful. Clothing made from natural fibres like cotton, hemp or wool is easily available and a far better choice, I would say.
While changing our buying habits can be difficult (but not impossible), we can, however, adopt a new washing ritual. Use a suitable washing bag for synthetic fibres? That easy?
IMAGE : © @stopmicrowaste
Guppyfriend is an excellent example of how good intent combined with innovation and effort can help mankind to reduce plastic pollution. It is a product that traps the microfibres and controls micro waste while washing your clothes. It is a ‘Scientifically approved solution against microplastic pollution from washing.’ (as on their website.) Not only does it control fibre shedding, it protects your clothes and increases its longevity. The tiny trapped fibres are clearly visible in the washing bag. They can be collected after wash and disposed properly in trash. They are doing a great job at raising micro-plastic awareness and supporting and initiating ideas to replace or reduce the same! Give it a read here.
That was just a little something on micro-plastics and a product worth a mention!
Hope it helps you identify and change your habits, to live a better lifestyle. Live #plasticfree!
XO
Kimaya
0 comments