South Korea Slow in Developing Microplastic-reducing Washing Machines

The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced on Sept. 4 that washed microfibers account for 35 percent of marine microplastics. According to it, washing of synthetic fiber clothing leads to fiber decomposition and the resultant microplastics flow to the sea. According to experts, washing alone results in 500,000 tons of microfibers entering the marine ecosystem each year and a single turn of a washing machine produces 700,000 microplastic fragments.

Under the circumstances, various manufacturers are releasing washing machines capable of microplastic reduction. For example, Turkish manufacturer Arcelik developed in 2019 a washing machine with a filter for a filtration rate of at least 90 percent. German company Grundig released a similar product in September last year and Electrolux released a recycled plastic-based microplastic filter in March this year.

On the other hand, South Korean manufacturers are slower in developing such technologies. Samsung Electronics washing machines’ maximum filtration rate is still as low as 54 percent and LG Electronics recently began to consider developing such technologies.

According to current South Korean laws, manufacturers have only to prevent intentional microplastic generation and unintentional generation attributable to wear, weathering and the like is subject to little regulation. Civic groups are calling for a special law so that washing machines are mandatorily equipped with a microplastic reduction unit.