Home Appliances
Samsung Launches Less Microfiber™ Filter to Protect Oceans from Laundry Plastics
Easy to monitor and maintain, the Less Microfiber™ Filter cuts 98% of microplastic emissions from laundry cycles and makes tackling ocean-bound plastics a natural part of daily life.
6/7/2023
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the new Less Microfiber™ Filter, an external washing machine filter designed to significantly reduce plastic microfiber emissions during laundry cycles. Designed with inspiration from apparel maker Patagonia and expertise from the global ocean conservation organization Ocean Wise, the filter builds on the success of last year’s Less Microfiber™ Cycle to substantially cut microplastics and enable sustainable laundry washing that is both effective and effortless. The new filter is now available in Korea and the U.K., and will roll out to other countries in the third quarter.
“With microplastics emissions to our oceans continuing to increase and regulations being strengthened in many countries, as well as microplastics becoming a growing health concern for people everywhere, Samsung worked with Ocean Wise and Patagonia to engineer technology to prevent the release of microplastics from our daily life,” said Moohyung Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D Team of Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “With innovations like the Less Microfiber™ Filter and Cycle, Samsung is enabling Everyday Sustainability in a wider array of products and making eco-conscious daily practices second nature in the home.”
From the Less Microfiber™ Cycle to the Less Microfiber™ Filter: Stopping Microplastics Before They Enter the Ocean
To enable customers to cut microplastic emissions from their laundry, Samsung first developed the Less Microfiber™ Cycle, a wash course that reduces microplastic shedding by 54%1 in part by leveraging Samsung’s proprietary Ecobubble™ technology. By using bubbles to help dissolve and absorb detergent, less heat and energy is required to wash clothes, resulting in reduced abrasion which in turn prevents microplastic emissions.
The Less Microfiber™ Filter takes this a step further, preventing up to 98%2 of microplastics released during laundry from escaping into the ocean, equivalent to eight 500ml plastic bottles per year3 when used four times a week. In addition, to help more customers get involved in cutting microplastic emissions, the Less Microfiber™ Filter has a mountable design style that allows it to be used with standard washing machine models, demonstrating the company’s dedication to long-term sustainability and helping customers embrace sustainability at home.