The Consortium on Microplastics Release during Household Washing Processes brings together fourteen signatory parties ranging from washing machines, detergent and filter manufacturers, to test institutes and test material facilities. These include: APPLiA, Arcelik, BSH, Electrolux, Haier, Hengst SE, Henkel, LG Electronics, Miele, Samsung, Sefar, Swissatest, VDE and Whirlpool. The Consortium also collaborates with FTT Switzerland and the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.) as observers and advisors to the discussion. Representing the main voice for home appliance manufacturers in Europe, APPLiA coordinates the project as a neutral intermediary and moderator. “To date, there is neither a concept nor a standard available to measure the behaviour of washing machines and the release of microplastics during a normal household washing cycle”, stated Paolo Falcioni, APPLiA Director General. To help closing this gap, the Consortium brings together knowledgeable experts in the field to jointly develop a feasibility study aimed at laying the foundations of a standardised testing methodology that is reliable, repeatable, and reproducible to ultimately assess the release of microplastics during a household washing cycle. As the Consortium kicks off work to score this target, “the industry renews its commitment to contribute to tackle the issue of microplastics and ultimately provide the tools to allow assessing the most cost-effective solution”, concluded Falcioni.
