The Biggest Environmental Problem You’ve Never Heard Of – Jul 27 2016 08:00 AM – Breaking News – Pollution Solutions Online

Posted on July 31, 2016 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste News

Source: The Biggest Environmental Problem You’ve Never Heard Of – Jul 27 2016 08:00 AM – Breaking News – Pollution Solutions Online

While plastic packaging constitutes a high percentage of this waste, there is another key contributing factor to oceanic pollution, and it’s one you probably had no idea was happening: microfibers. These tiny fibres are found in synthetic clothing, such as fleeces and other non-woollen thermals, and can actually be released during ordinary washing machine cycles. After being washed down the pipes with the dirty laundry water, they are then brought to wastewater treatment plants… where the particles are so small that a significant percentage of them escape the filtration process. The end result? Huge amounts of microfibers in our oceans and streams. –

Car and truck tyres as the run along the road have to shed small ‘splinters’ of rubber by their very definition to provide traction on to the road surface.   This is also leading to massive accumulation of synthetic rubber in our waterways that also end up in the ocean.  It is non biodegradable so acts like a plastic and will cause similar issues.