The skin of your laundry pods dissolve in the washing machine, right?
They dissolve into microplastic.
And wastewater treatment systems have no way to filter that out so the microplastics go straight into streams and the ocean.
Just pour your laundry soap out of a box or bottle.
Okay, this post kind of fractalled into multiple conversation threads, thank you to everyone who participated! I learned a lot.
First, PVA, the skin of laundry pods, is a plastic. Yes, it dissolves in water (under selected conditions). But it doesn't go away. On this planet, there is no "away":
"Dissolve does not mean disappear. Salt is technically soluble in water, but if you pour a bunch of salt in a glass of water, you very much taste it. It’s still there."
"In order for #PVA to #biodegrade, special PVA-adapted microbes need to be added at high levels and for long durations. Currently, most water treatment facilities do not sufficiently treat PVA in water, and therefore poses a series of environmental and safety concerns. "
Also:
"the production of PVA film involves heavy environmental and safety burdens in carcinogenic toxins, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, and fossil fuel depletion."
Research from the Fraunhofer Institut shows that in Germany, tire wear is the single largest source of microplastics, and it's much larger than the next source which is -- wait for it -- abrasion of plastic from road surfaces.
Sounds like Germans like to burn rubber (except that car tires are no longer ctual rubber but a composite containing lots of plastic).
I'll stick to liquid soap.
But now I will also try the liquid laundry soap that my health food store sells out of a large vat with a faucet. BYO container: I can make that a glass bottle.
Microplastic pollution affects a wide range of the planet's processes, from cloud formation to phytoplankton making our oxygen.
"From the evidence gathered, one can infer that #microplastic pollution plays a significant role in global warming and #ClimateChange and that MPs and climate change issues are inextricably linked. The current article bridges the gap between MPs and climate change challenges that were previously regarded separately."
Turns out, farmers now sow fertiliser pods on their lands: callled "controlled release fertilizers" they are tiny versions of your laundry pods but filled with fertiliser.
Seeds are also individually wrapped in a plastic pouch.
The micropouches break down into smaller microplastics that remain in the soil. And as they say, you reap what you sow.
There are a few other pathways for microplastics to reach the soil, from stormwater to plastic sheeting to "biosolids" (which is polite for processed municipal poo and other shit) – and all of those pathways need to be broken.
@CelloMomOnCars Whatever happened to the powdered laundry detergent that used to come in cardboard boxes? That probably had something awful in it too but it seemed like less waste than liquid in plastic bottles.
@CelloMomOnCars oh yes, I also just buy cotton, have for a long time, feels better. (Yes, it’s also not unproblematic, but then, what is.) I am unhappy that much cotton is only washable at 30°/40° though, especially for bedwear 60°C is a minimum IMHO (but synthetics aren’t better in that, and they do stink)
Those washing instructions are there mostly to protect the manufacturer! Once it's mine I can see fit to wash it at any temperature. If it's really 100% cotton and the dye is good, you should be able to do 60C.
My sheets go in at 90C (I'm old fashioned) but they are all off-white.
@RiaResists@CelloMomOnCars but does the plastic bottle the liquid comes in become more or less micro plastic than my pods films(which come in a cardboard box)?
@thesquirrelfish@RiaResists@CelloMomOnCars I can’t cite a definitive answer, but I’m gonna say the big plastic bottles add much less microplastics to our water supply & more.
The plastic casing on those pods breaks down in the water cycle, going directly into our water supplies.
I’ve recycled everything all my life which is another positive for the jugs. Also refill stores are popping up on various places. Can refill soap, shampoo, environmentally friendly cleaning liquids…lotion
@RiaResists@CelloMomOnCars yeah I like the idea of a refill center, and I'll do some research to see if there's a local one.
Until this thread I had thought my pods were faster degrading and less harsh on the environment since they're grey water friendly etc.
I mistrust whether my plastic jugs (any plastics really)are actually recycled just because I see how bad other people are at cleaning before recycling and I've been to some of the countries we send it to and smelled the plastic burning on the air but it's better that it has a chance to be recycled than a guarantee of entering the SF Bay
@migriverat@thesquirrelfish@RiaResists@CelloMomOnCars@504DR plastic recycling is absolutely a thing, and can be done on micro scale by the consumer for many plastics. Granted, it's not as good as the plastic having not been manufactured in the first place; but, it can serve to reduce demand for certain plastics, adhesives, and fuels.