The WI makes great cookies, but we also use them to give you the best experience on our site.

By continuing to use our website we will assume that you are happy with our use of cookies.

More information.

OK
Search
Menu

NFWI launches new report into how our laundry contributes to plastic pollution

In a Spin: How our laundry is contributing to plastic pollution aims to help build understanding about the environmental impact of our clothes washing habits.

Microplastic fibres are shed from synthetic clothing when laundered and pose a threat to marine life and the wider environment. In particular, the report explores the amount of synthetic clothing that people regularly wash and sets out recommendations for future action.

The In a Spin report is part of the WI’s End Plastic Soup campaign. Launched in 2017, the campaign calls for the development of solutions to reduce the amount of microplastic fibres, entering the oceans and wider environment.

To find out more, download the report.

Infographic depicting the report's key findings: Nearly half of respondents' most washed items contained more than 30% synthetic fibres; Almost half a million households send most of their unwanted clothing to landfill; At least 9.4 trillion fibres could be released per week in the UK; UK households are doing as much as 68 million loads of laundry per week; nearly 90% of respondents purchase up to 40 items of clothing each year; as a result of the End Plastic Soup campaign 62% indicated that they had made some sort of behaviour change

Learn more about the NFWI’s End Plastic Soup campaign.