Laundry balls that mimic coral could help reduce plastic pollution

MAINE — A laundry ball designed to catch microfibers from clothes could help reduce the plastics pollution entering the ecosystem. At four inches in diameter and made from recycled rubber, the Cora Ball imitates the way a coral reef filters tiny particles from flowing water. When washed with clothing, the laundry ball captures microfibers that come off during the wash. According the company, the ball captures between a quarter to a third of the microfibers per wash. A typical household 13-pound laundry load can shed up to 700,000 microfibers, says marine science researcher Imogen Napper form the University of Plymouth in the U.K., as reported by the BBC.The little plastic fibers are too small for water treatment plants to remove, so many of them make it into the oceans.According to the BBC, researchers say one cubic meter of ocean can contain 100,000 pieces of microplastic, which can then be consumed by marine life, to be eaten by humans.