Environment

Gulp captures microfibers from eco-conscious users' washing machines

Gulp captures microfibers from eco-conscious users' washing machines
Gulp is presently on Kickstarter
Gulp is presently on Kickstarter
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Gulp can be installed at any height or location relative to the washing machine
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Gulp can be installed at any height or location relative to the washing machine
Gulp is presently on Kickstarter
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Gulp is presently on Kickstarter
Captured microfibers are emptied out of the Gulp's filter cup
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Captured microfibers are emptied out of the Gulp's filter cup
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A significant percentage of waterborne microplastic pollution takes the form of synthetic microfibers, which are shed by our clothes as they're being washed. A new device known as Gulp lets homeowners filter those fibers out of their wash water, keeping them from reaching rivers or the sea.

Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, Gulp was invented by British engineer Adam Root. He previously designed products for Dyson, and founded his own company, Matter, to develop and manufacture the device.

Gulp is reportedly compatible with any make and model of washing machine. That machine's drain hose connects to the back of the device, delivering used wash water into it. The water passes through a removable, reusable filter cup in the Gulp, then proceeds out of the device's own drain hose and into the municipal sewage system.

Gulp can be installed at any height or location relative to the washing machine
Gulp can be installed at any height or location relative to the washing machine

According to Matter, the setup is capable of removing up to 90% of microfibers from each load of laundry. After approximately 20 wash cycles, an LED on top of the device indicates that its filter cup is full. The user then just pulls that cup out, empties it, and puts it back in.

It should be noted that other microfiber filtration systems do exist, but most of them utilize disposable filters that have to be replaced, and that are simply discarded at the end of their use.

Speaking of which, what happens to the fibers that Gulp collects? Matter says that users can save them up then send them to the company, which will recycle them or utilize them in research. Even if the captured fibers are just put in the garbage and dumped in a landfill, Matter states that's still much better than letting them pass into local waterways.

Captured microfibers are emptied out of the Gulp's filter cup
Captured microfibers are emptied out of the Gulp's filter cup

Should you be interested, Gulp is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. Assuming it reaches production, a pledge of £149 (about US$169) will get you one – the planned retail price is £250 ($283).

It's demonstrated in the following video.

Gulp. Self-cleaning washing machine microplastic filter.

Sources: Kickstarter, Gulp

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4 comments
4 comments
CarolynFarstrider
Now we need to see this system routinely built into new washing machines, so that it doesn't require space on top of a machine for a retrofitted device.
michael_dowling
CarolynFarstrider : Good point. It could become a desirable feature to tout in ads,which would boost sales with the eco conscious crowd.
ArdisLille
I wonder if a similarly effective material could be used for the lint trap that many of us attach to the drainer hose that hangs over a basement tub. I use old socks, but that could surely be improved upon.
Jinpa
Maybe new version of greenwashing? This is a very expensive filter system. Getting the price down should increase the appeal. Meanwhile, how about some actual data about the particle size being trapped, so comparisons can be made to other filtering products? "Microfibers" is too vague. And the risk of a water flood in the house if the piping loses integrity is another concern. Drain water from a washing machine comes out quite fast. This device is nowhere near the size of a utility sink into which our washing machine dumps the water, and even with a very effective drain, that utility sink can't contain a washing-machine's worth of water volume, so if a sock gets stuck in the drain, a flood can result. A float device such as a sump pump float which can shutoff washing-machine power could stop a utility-sink overflow. How does this filter device cope with that possibility? Effective filtering at that rate seems risky. I'd want to see some Consumer Reports results before I'd risk such a calamity.