Samsung is a multinational electronics company that manufactures a wide range of products. It has a reputation for producing advanced and innovative items in the home appliance category, such as smart refrigerators and robot vacuums.
Patagonia and Samsung have joined to reduce microplastics produced by textiles and washing.
Patagonia, a brand known for its environmental and sustainability commitments, aided Samsung in product testing and research, while the Korean manufacturer supplied technical expertise. The collaboration seeks to reduce ocean pollution by preventing microplastics from entering the water supply during laundry.
Microplastics from clothes washing have not garnered the same level of exposure as other sustainability measures, such as water-saving devices. When synthetic textiles are cleaned, microplastics from clothes such as denim, fleece, nylon, and polyester end up in waterways. Even gentle cycles emit large amounts of plastic.
The Samsung-Pentagonia collab is based on a realistic, effective, and extensible method to address microplastics produced by textiles and washing.
The mechanical and chemical stresses that fabrics undergo during a washing process in a laundry machine lead to the separation of microfibres from the threads that comprise the textile, which causes the release of microplastics from synthetic clothes.
Samsung announced last year that it would accelerate the development of eco-friendly home appliances through innovative products and services that can be used in everyday life.
In addition, the Samsung-Patagonia collab will use a new filter system and cycle on specific machines, with both firms aiming to reduce microplastics by up to 54 percent.
Later this year, the Less Microfiber Cycle will be available to upgrade compatible washing machines in Korea and the United States. In addition, in the second half of 2023, the Less Microfiber Filter will be available in certain Samsung washing machines in Europe.
The good news is that consumers of other washing machine brands will be able to buy the filter separately and install it in their machines as well.