Sustainable and decentralized treatment of laundry wastewater, including removal of microplastics

The development of a decentralized treatment solution targeted at the removal of microplastics and organic matter in laundry wastewater.

Both nationally and internationally, there is a great focus on the discharge of microplastics to our aquatic environments from e.g. drained rainwater and municipal wastewater in general. Laundries such as the mat laundries at Berendsen are expected to constitute a significant source in relation to microplastics in municipal wastewater. In the wastewater from the carpet laundries ends e.g. microplastic fibers from clothing and from wear on the mats during use, as well as particles of plastic and rubber that have been deposited in the mats when wiping footwear.

This project has focused on the development of a decentralized treatment solution based on a combination of chemical precipitation, flocculation and bandpass filter technology targeted at the removal of microplastics and organic matter in laundry wastewater. The project also aimed to develop a valid measurement method for quantification and characterization of microplastics and micro-rubber in laundry wastewater with special focus on microfibers.

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