The Microfiber Initiative began in February and seeks to raise awareness of the microplastics released into the environment from textiles as a result of washing clothes.
Microplastics, plastics less than 5 millimeters in length, are becoming a growing concern due to their ubiquity and persistence in the environment and potential effects on ecological.
Microplastics likely pose long-term health risks to humans, animals and the environment in general. Earlier this year, California became the first state in the U.S. to adopt an official strategy for eliminating microplastics from the environment.
The State of California and the United Nations certainly envision that future. Late last month, California adopted a first-in-the-nation strategy to address microplastics in the environment.