A popular guide to zero-waste cleaning and laundry has been refreshed with new advice on microplastics and safer products.
The updated Earth911 article highlights how laundry releases millions of plastic fibers into waterways each load. It notes that about 35 percent of ocean microplastics may come from washing clothes.
A study from the University of Bonn shows that kitchen sponges shed microplastics during regular use. Emissions vary by sponge type, but water consumption drives most of the environmental impact from hand dishwashing.
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Researchers at the University of Vienna have determined that land releases more than 20 times as many microplastic particles into the atmosphere as the oceans, challenging prior assumptions. Their study, published in Nature, used global measurements to correct overestimated emission models. The findings highlight land as the dominant source, though uncertainties persist.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg found that feelings of disgust from dirty recycling stations lead to poorer waste sorting. An experiment showed clear improvements when stations received extra cleaning. The study was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.