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that vented dryers, which release warm, moist air to the outside via an exhaust pipe, pump out large quantities of airborne microfibres. Lant and his colleagues assessed the performance of condenser tumble dryers, which are popular in the UK and Europe thanks to their lower energy demand, by testing how many microfibres were shed from test loads of new, clean garments and dirty laundry sourced from volunteer households in Newcastle.
than tumble dryers. Lant estimates that the waterborne pollution from a condenser dryer is 25 per cent of the level from the washing machine, per wash load. And because only 15 per cent of washing loads are tumble-dried, the total pollution from washing machines is far greater, estimated at around 13,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution per year across Europe. “We have our priorities right in targeting washing machines first,” says Lant.