Bristol firm launches pioneering microfibre technology
Bristol innovation company Matter has previewed a retrofittable washing machine microfibre filter in a bid to tackle plastic pollution.
The technology will preview at IFA Berlin 2023 – the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show.
There are now more than 171 trillion pieces of microplastic floating in our waters.
The pervasive nature and negative impact of these toxic pollutants seeping into our environment – and even finding a way into our own bodies – is a serious concern.
Textiles create 35 percent of the world’s primary microplastic pollution. Today some 60 percent of textiles are now made from plastic fibres.
Every time clothes are washed, up to 700,000 plastic fibres are released from washing machines and into waterways.
Gulp is an external, retrofittable washing machine microfibre filter that catches up to 91 percent of all microfibres from every laundry cycle, giving the user plastic-free washing with zero replacement filter costs and no additional waste.
It can be easily installed and is suitable for all European washing machines.
Gulp is compatible with any detergent and does not require replacement filters or other parts.
The versatility of being able to position Gulp on top of a washing machine and low down beside a machine makes it ideal for the European market.
The filtered microfibres caught by Gulp, a substance which is like the lint from a tumble dryer, can be sent to Matter HQ.
Matter is working to utilise this residual waste by recycling it for reuse, closing the loop on microplastics.
Earlier this month Matter announced it has raised a $10 million Series A investment.
The round was led by S2G Ventures, the direct investment team for Builders Vision, and SOUNDwaves, the sustainability-focused investment vehicle backed by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary.
Additional investment came from Leonardo DiCaprio backed Consumer ClimateTech fund Regeneration.VC, and Katapult Ocean, which has made a significant follow-on investment, along with a small number of strategic investors.
Exhibiting at IFA Berlin 2023, Matter is looking for partners to join them on this journey to a better future for people and planet.
Matter Founder and chief executive Adam Root said: “Our mission is to capture microplastics before they reach the world’s waterways, and in doing so create a circular economy from the captured material.
“Gulp is a sustainable, scalable piece of technology that empowers people to become part of the solution and make a real difference.
“By targeting existing machines with an external solution and developing technology for future integration into washing machines we are trying to tackle the problem from all angles.
“At IFA 2023 I look forward to meeting with industry to work together to tackle the profound problem of microplastic pollution from laundry.”
