Meet Our Mate… The Guppyfriend
Laundry Day Just Got Friendlier
Everyone loves a laundry day companion and Res.Awesome is here to help. We are excited to introduce our latest stocked item available for purchase; The Guppyfriend. This is a truly revolutionary product that can help our community divert harmful microplastics from our waterways and natural environment.
It has been found that a city of 100,000 people could produce enough washing machine-related microfibers to create fifteen plastic bags every day! Ōtepoti has a population of around 106,000….you do the math.
A lot of our textiles and clothing garments are unfortunately entirely or at least partly made from synthetic materials, including Polyester, Viscose, Nylon, Elastane, Polyester (Polar) Fleece + many trademarked textiles. Teeny microfibres from these materials are shed during each laundry cycle and are washed away with our machines wastewater - ending up in essentially every part of our ecosystem. Our water, our air, our soil, our produce and our whānau! These fibres can be extremely detrimental to our natural world. Once in our environment, the tiny micro plastics irreversibly degrade into smaller and smaller particles and are impossible to retrieve. Micro plastics and microfibres essentially act as a sponge for all the nasties we are trying to get rid of: oil, chemicals, pesticides, industrial wastes, and other toxins. They perpetuate the cycle of harmful pollutants and bacteria that do damage to all living things, this is no doubt because they are made from fossil fuels.
Micro plastics have been found in countless species and high levels of which are present in most forms of plankton; a vital marine organism. Plankton is essentially the cornerstone of all aquatic life. It is at the bottom of the marine food chain and is ingested by countless species. Once ingested by these little critters, micro plastics unavoidably seep into the digestive system of all organisms further up the food chain. The cycle continues and the harmful micro plastics being leached into our marine environment end up right back with us, and find their way into our hardworking digestive systems. Research has found that micro plastics are now present in our honey, salt, water, beer and other food sources - they have been found in our bodies too, which is pretty darn scary if you ask us!
Washing machines are not currently equipped with microfibre filters. Although there are prototypes being developed, it will probably be some time before a practical model will be available for purchase. Micro fibres are so small and plentiful that they could clog a machine’s microfibre filter in a matter of seconds. Even if our washing machines were able to filter out micro plastics, our wastewater treatment facilities are ill-equipped in this space. Wastewater treatment plants are unable to rid our wastewater of microfibres/plastic. Our infrastructure has a wee way to go when it comes to weaning out harmful pollutants and minimising the damage of synthetic materials and plastic, which is why we are stoked to find this awesome tool. We also recommend The Fitrol filter, which is an incredible water filter solution to tackle our growing pollution problem.
Ultimately the goal is to prevent microfibres from being thrown out with our wastewater during each wash. This is where the Guppyfriend comes in really bloody handy. So how does it work? The Guppyfriend Washing Bag has a smooth texture which minimises friction and fibre breakage. The bag itself catches all microfibres shed during the wash. All we need to do is remove these pesky bits from the lining of the bag and dispose of them in the trash. Micro plastics successfully diverted from our wastewater! The Guppyfriend also protects your clothes from shedding and leaves the fabric more intact - extending the life of your favourite pieces.
Check out the Stop! Microfibres page on our site for more details about how the Guppyfriend works!
The Guppyfriend Washing Bag is a practical and effective solution to collecting the microfibers of every wash and allowing us to dispose of them in a way that protects our rivers and oceans. This product also serves as a reminder for us to be a little bit more conscious of our textile buying habits. Synthetics are not ideal, as microplastics are often involved in their creation. Langbrett are on a mission to raise awareness about our microfibre problem and the team at Res.Awesome are excited to partner up with this innovative company.
We are really stoked to have this product available and ready to order direct from our website! Introduce your mates to our Guppyfriend today with this 5% off discount GUPPYCODE!
Discount available until the 17th October, Tell your friends!!
Researched by: Fi Clements
Processed by: Erin Cox
Edited by: Fi Clements
