Xeros patent for microfibre filtration in domestic washing machines published

10 July 2019


INTERNATIONAL

Xeros Technology Group, the developer and provider of water saving and effluent reduction technologies with multiple commercial and domestic applications, has announced that its patent application for microfibre filters suitable for domestic washing machines has now been published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The device is trademarked XFiltra and its design can be licenced by any domestic washing machine manufacturer to drastically reduce microfibre pollution from the washing of clothes.

XFiltra is a combined filter, pump and de-watering unit designed to be an integral part of a domestic washing machine. It can be easily incorporated into any front-loading machine during manufacture. 

Washing clothes containing synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon has been identified as the single biggest source of primary microplastics released into the oceans every year, with as many as 700,000 microfibres released into the environment from a single domestic wash cycle.

Xeros said that XFiltra is the world's first operationally effective and commercially viable filter to address this issue.

“As part of our objective to radically improve the sustainability of water intensive industries, we made a commitment in 2017 to the UN Ocean Conference that we would produce a solution to the issue of microplastic pollution from domestic laundry. XFiltra fulfils that commitment,” said Mark Nichols, CEO of Xeros.

“XFiltra is a low-cost solution to one of today's most pressing environmental issues: plastic pollution. XFiltra captures up to 99% of all microplastic particles shed from clothing during a domestic laundry cycle.

“Solving the issue of microplastic particles entering the environment from the clothes will require action at many points of the supply chain including washing machines.

"We are now engaged in meaningful discussions with washing machine manufacturers, retailers and clothing brands regarding XFiltra – this represents a giant step towards reducing the largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean.”



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