Washing machine filter now available to preorder for use at home
Seemingly every day new headlines posit the dangers of microplastics: insidious particles—less than 5 millimeters in size—that creep into nature and wreak havoc. A 2022 study for the World Wildlife Fund found that, on average, we eat a credit card’s worth of microplastics each week—and they accumulate in our bodies, including our brains. Though the full impact of these miniscule plastics is yet to be seen, they are believed to be linked to such diseases as cancer and dementia.
The largest contributor of microplastic pollution comes from a surprising source: washing machines. With approximately 60% of our clothing made of synthetic materials such as polyester (think: fast fashion), wastewater full of microplastics from every load of laundry washes down the drain and into our water system.
Recognizing the consequences of this practice, a team of three then-students at Case Western Reserve University—Max Pennington (CWR ’22), Chip Miller and David Dillman—designed an easy-to-install filtration system that is certified by the Shaw Institute to capture 90% of microplastics as small as 50-microns in washing machines. Together, while students at CWRU, they cofounded CLEANR to bring their solution to market.
“It’s been really encouraging to work with a group of people from all around the United States to go after this really big problem,” said Pennington, CEO and cofounder of CLEANR.
Today, in honor of Earth Day, they are launching pre-orders for the CLEANR filter so anyone can do their part to reduce their impact on the environment. Members of the Case Western Reserve community can get $20 off with promo code CLEANRCWRU.
Inspired by nature, backed by education
The CLEANR team realized early on that existing filtration systems clog too easily to filter out microplastics. To find an alternative, they turned to nature and read up on types of fish that can clarify the water around them. That’s how they came up with the VORTX, the team’s patent-pending technology at the heart of their filtration system.
While the natural world inspired the technology, the group’s coursework at Case Western Reserve helped them bring it to life. They relied on knowledge gained on process control, design, subsystems, product testing and more to design a functional prototype.
At that point, CWRU’s entrepreneurial network offered essential support as they took their next steps. Prize money from the Morgenthaler-Pavey Competition helped the team purchase their first washing machine, and they now operate out of a seventh-floor incubator space at Sears think[box].
Making CWRU part of the solution
Students at CWRU also are among the first to try out the filters as part of a pilot program at the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall.
CWRU student Alan Ly has been working with CLEANR since his first year on campus; he recently took on the responsibility of replacing the filters on the residence hall washing machines each week to help streamline the pilot.
“It’s super rewarding to see our technology evolve from just an idea to now something we are installing on campus and getting ready to bring to market,” said Ly, a fourth-year student majoring in accounting. “My favorite part of the job is not just being able to contribute to a mission I truly care about, but also who I am doing it with. Working with a team of young entrepreneurs in a fast-paced environment means there is always a new problem to tackle, and never a boring day on the job!”
While the program is still in its early stages, the CLEANR team aims to deploy more filters soon, estimating that for every 100 filters installed at CWRU, 5,600 credit cards worth of plastic each year can be prevented from entering our waterways.
“CLEANR is aligned with our institutional mission to solve the world’s leading problems,” said President Kaler in a recent press release for CLEANR. “Installing CLEANR filters on our residence hall washing machines provides us with an easy and practical way to significantly reduce our microplastic emissions while serving as a model for our peers to do the same.”
Looking ahead
Products sold during CLEANR’s presale phase will be delivered in June. The company is primarily focusing on the consumer market, with an eye on bigger goals.
“Our end goal is to help demonstrate the technology in the market with people who are passionate and want to do something against the number one source of microplastic pollution,” said Pennington. “There are people that want to make a difference about this—they’re willing to make a change so that their washing machines aren’t polluting millions of microplastics every single load.”
In proving a widespread desire to take action, the CLEANR team hopes to work directly with washing machine manufacturers to integrate their filters directly into the machines.
And that’s just the start. After being named 2024 New Product of the Yearby the American Filtration and Separation Society for the VORTX, the team began fielding requests to consider licensing their technology for new applications.
With their office space just a few miles from the shores of Lake Erie, Pennington said he and the CLEANR team believe Cleveland is poised to become the epicenter of the fight against microplastics.
“The Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water, and 40 million people rely on them for their drinking water,” said Bryan Stubbs, president and executive director of the Cleveland Water Alliance in a press release for CLEANR. “That makes this region a key battleground in fighting microplastic pollution. And the more we learn about the health risks of microplastics, the more important that breakthrough inventions like CLEANR’s VORTX technology become to our community.”
Keep an eye on the CWRU Instagram account today for a behind-the-scenes look at CLEANR’s work.