High Sierra Topix

Read an interesting article on National Geographic today about synthetic fleeces shedding micro plastics. I've known about the issue with micro beads and have long since stopped purchasing those types of products, but I never thought about all my synthetic clothing. Every time we wash a fleece it sheds about 2,000 micro strands and it ends up where else... the ocean. They've done surveys of the ocean floor and the stuff is everywhere. They estimate each square kilometer of deep sea floor has 4 BILLION (!!) strands.

I don't think anyone is going to stop wearing synthetics anytime soon, so perhaps they can add some additional filtering before processed sewage is released to the sea.

Read it too. Apparently worse than microbeads. Sucks.

Here it is: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/vid ... -pollution

Perhaps the more widespread use of lint traps on washing machines could help with this issue, at least so it doesn't get any worse. Its pretty sad how so many things that seem so innocuous, have these unintended consequences.

Nah, It's just time to move to one of the moons of Pluto and start trashing another planetoid.

Your fleece isn't the primary cause in the oceans. Think fishing nets/line/gear/plastic containers..

Send Patagonia your fleece shed material from the lint trap or the entire garment when it has worn out, they will accept it, and I agree with alc101ma, it all becomes micro-plastic eventually. If sea life is lucky enough to dodge the discarded plastic net or avoid eating the plastic golf ball, it will come back around and be ingested as a micro-plastic to cause the same misery. Very insidious stuff indeed.

plastic nets/fishing gear/etc decay just like fleece creating micro plastics. And your lint trap won't pick up most of it. If they can't treat it for removal at your sewage treatment plant, you have little hope to do so at home.

As I'm on a septic system, my "lint" goes underground and stays there. I'm not saying it's ok, but it is what it is..

Wash your fleece on a more gentle setting and then line-dry it. This not only lessens the lint production, it makes your fleece last longer. In fact, line-drying any clothing item will increase its life, was well as eliminate shrinkage. I have a little closet rod that I put up in the laundry room. It only takes fleece a few hours to dry. I also wash my fleece in Woolite - makes it softer when you line dry.