Laundry operators have growing concerns that sewer authorities everywhere will attempt to regulate linen and uniform services’ discharges of microplastics from the synthetic fabrics they wash. A growing body of research showing the environmental impact of plastics on oceans is revealing its significance. However, at the same time, better tactics for detecting the waste products are emerging as well.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) noted in December 2019 that new research indicates plastic pollution in the oceans could be 1 million times worse than previously recorded. Marine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980.

Historically, nets were used to collect ...