Microplastics smaller than a grain of rice have invaded every part of the world. They clog up the intestines of marine life, lodge in human lungs, and may be leeching toxic chemicals into our bodies.
And once they're there, they stay there forever, breaking into smaller pieces, but never disappearing entirely. One way microplastics invade the oceans is from laundry, some studies found.
That's right, the simple act of washing synthetic fabrics, like polyester, acrylic, and nylon releases microplastics.
People should stop buying synthetic fabrics altogether, and try to only buy natural fabrics, like cotton, linen, or bamboo, Sonali Diddi, a professor at Colorado State University who studies the environmental impact of clothing, told Insider. But that's a long-term solution, she said.
Luckily, there are things you can do in the immediate to reduce how much microplastics you may be sending into the environment. Diddi said if you change your habits slightly, "there's a pretty good chance that we'll be able to save the microfiber getting released into the waterways."
Here are four ways to launder your clothes more sustainably.