logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2023
24m 22s

From Laundry to the Ocean: Fixing the Mi...

The Wall Street Journal
About this episode

Our clothes are in need of a refresh, but not in the way you might think. With each wash, everything from sweaters to socks are releasing tiny, microscopic fibers into our water. Almost 35% of the primary microplastics in oceans right now come from laundry, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 


From filters in our washing machines to new materials for our clothes, alternatives are in the works to stop microplastics from coming off our clothes. But will it be enough? WSJ’s Alex Ossola and Ariana Aspuru speak about the steps researchers and companies are taking to solve the problem of microplastics in our wash.


Further reading: 

The Tiny Plastics in Your Clothes Are Becoming a Big Problem - WSJ  

Ocean Garbage Patches Have a Microscopic Problem - WSJ 

Fashion Firms Look to Single-Fiber Clothes as EU Recycling Regulations Loom - WSJ 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Tariffs, EVs and China: A CEO Insider’s View of the Car Business
For months, the complex global auto industry has grappled with the added challenge of navigating the Trump administration’s trade war. That gives Swamy Kotagiri, the CEO of Magna International, a first-hand perspective of how tariffs, trade negotiations and shifting supply chains ... Show More
41m 29s
Jul 9
Why José Andrés Says We Need Leaders Who Believe in ‘Longer Tables’
José Andrés knows what it’s like to work under pressure. From managing the chaos of restaurant kitchens, to running a global business empire, to helping feed people in disaster zones, the celebrity chef doesn’t like to sit still, especially when it comes to food. On a special bon ... Show More
35m 12s
Jul 2
How Microsoft’s AI Chief Defines ‘Humanist Super Intelligence’
Few people developing artificial intelligence have as much experience in the field as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. He co-founded DeepMind, helped Google develop its large language models and designed AI chatbots with personality at his former startup, Inflection AI. Now, he ... Show More
43 m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
Microplastics are everywhere. What can we do about it?
With every breath you take, you could be inhaling microplastics. Today, we talk about where they come from, how they impact our health and what we can do to avoid them in our daily lives. Read more: For years, scientists on the hunt for microplastics have found them almost everyw ... Show More
21m 15s
Dec 2022
Plastic Rap
Plastic waste never really breaks down. It just splits into tinier and tinier pieces until it becomes trillions of microscopic bits scattered across the world. Microplastics are everywhere: In the air we breathe and the water we drink, atop the highest mountains and in the deepes ... Show More
38m 23s
Nov 2018
Why We Fell In Love with Plastic
Plastic waste and pollution have become a global problem but is there any sign of a global solution? And how did we allow this to happen in the first place? Materials scientist and broadcaster, Professor Mark Miodownik, explores how we fell in love with plastic, why we've ended u ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2022
Could moth larvae be the answer to our plastic problem?
Plastic pollution is damaging the health of the environment, wildlife and us. It has been found on remote islands, in Antarctic snow and in human blood, breast milk and lungs. Alongside rapidly reducing how much plastic we produce, we also need to find new ways to tackle the wast ... Show More
12m 18s
Mar 2021
Plastic Pollution - with Steve Backshall and Georgia May Jagger
“If you’ve eaten seafood, you’ve eaten plastic” It’s time to talk plastics. Every piece of plastic we consume stays in the environment for up to hundreds of years. The sheer scale of plastics in the environment are dramatically impacting ocean wildlife and human health. For this ... Show More
27m 8s
Aug 2022
The problem with plastics -- and how to start cleaning up the mess | Patricia Villarrubia-Gómez
Plastics are everywhere -- they're in our favorite electronic devices, they package our food and insulate our homes. Today, the total mass of plastic is twice the total mass of all living organisms on the planet, and it's starting to change the processes that allow the Earth's cl ... Show More
10m 22s
Apr 2023
Green is the New Black
Clothing recycling along with second-hand and rental markets have significantly decreased waste in the fashion industry. Today in 2050, every garment tells a story. This transparency about an item’s provenance empowers consumers to make responsible choices. At Tokyo Fashion Week, ... Show More
27m 13s
May 2021
Audio long-read: How harmful are microplastics?
Scientists are trying to figure out whether these pervasive plastic specks are dangerous.Wherever they look – from the bottom of oceans to the top of mountains – researchers are uncovering tiny specks of plastic, known as microplastics.Scientists are trying to understand the pote ... Show More
21m 22s
Apr 2013
Why should you wash new clothes before wearing them?
Some clothes have tags that say "wash before wearing" or "wash separately." Find out why it's sometimes a good idea to wash new clothes before you wear them in this episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for pr ... Show More
2m 47s
Dec 2023
How to fix fashion and protect the planet | Amy Powney
From the field to your closet, your clothes go on a long journey before they enter your life. Designer Amy Powney explores the fashion industry's brutal impact on the environment and human health, modeling what ethical, planet-friendly clothing can look like — and inviting us all ... Show More
13m 19s