While we’re increasingly aware of the dangers posed by microplastics, microfibre pollution (tiny synthetic fibres shed from clothing during washing) remains a lesser known but equally serious problem. 

Often made from polyester or nylon, these plastic fibres are thinner than a human hair and can easily slip through standard filtration systems. Research shows that a single load of laundry can release between 640,000 to 1.5 million microfibres, many of which end up in our waterways and the ocean after going down the drain. Once there, they can harm ecosystems, marine life and even get into the food we eat. 

The facility is located in a town called Bude in Cornwall, and it operates through a low-impact, closed-loop process using the company’s washing machine filters that capture microfibres at their source.  

Once the filters are full, they are sent to the centre where the contents are cleaned and recycled into materials for use in various industries such as packaging, battery production and even construction components.  

“Let’s be honest – microplastic pollution is a global crisis hiding in plain sight. It’s in our oceans, our food, our brains and our bloodstreams. We’re told it’s too complex to fix, too late to act – but we’re proving that’s not true. This new facility isn’t just about filtration or recycling – it’s about completely shifting the way we deal with waste and sustainable materials,” Dave Miller, CEO at Cleaner Seas Group told the Cornish and Devon Post. 

“We’ve built a system that stops microplastics before they enter our waterways and transforms them into materials with real value. That’s a genuine circular economy in action.” 

This new recycling centre therefore plays an important role in both addressing the problem and providing an example of how others can tackle the issue in other parts of the world. 

Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.