Stop Microfiber Pollution at the Source
Filtrify captures over 95% of microplastics
from laundry before they reach our waterways.
Engineered for Impact
Novel stainless steel exterior
Unique bio-char & mesh interior
Easy-to-install filter attachment
Why We Care and Why It Matters
Microplastic Pollution Starts in The Laundry Room
Every load of laundry releases an invisible threat. When synthetic fabrics are washed, 124–308 mg of fabric can shed up to 1.5 million microfibers in a single wash. These plastic particles flow from our washing machines into wastewater systems, contributing to the over 8 million tons of plastic pollution entering the ocean each year.
Once released, microfibers spread rapidly through aquatic ecosystems, where they are nearly impossible to remove.
A Silent Threat to Marine Life
Toxic Chemicals, Lasting Damage
Fish, plankton, and countless marine organisms mistake microfibers for food. As these particles accumulate, they cause internal blockages, suppress appetite, and stunt growth—weakening individual species and destabilizing entire food chains.
Microfibers do more than pollute physically. They carry toxic chemicals used in textile manufacturing, including dyes, flame retardants, and UV stabilizers. As fibers break down, these chemicals leach into the environment, compounding damage.
A Growing Human Health Concern
The harm does not stop in the sea. As microfibers move up the food chain through biomagnification, they ultimately reach humans. Exposure has been linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and endocrine disruption—raising serious concerns about long-term health effects.
Microfiber pollution is largely invisible, but its consequences are not. What we wash today shapes the health of our oceans—and ourselves—tomorrow.
Introducing Filtrify
Design
Invented to Capture Microfibers Without Disrupting Your Wash
Filtrify is a slim, external microfiber filter that attaches directly to a washing machine’s drain hose—capturing harmful microfibers before they ever reach the sewer system.
No internal modifications. No changes to how you do laundry.
Filtrify uses a two-part, replaceable design engineered for durability and ease of use. A long-lasting metal outer housing mounts securely on the wall or standpipe and remains permanently installed, while a lightweight plastic inner cartridge holds all filtration layers. When the cartridge reaches capacity, it can be removed and replaced in seconds without disturbing the housing, mounting bracket, or hose connections.
A Smarter, Layered Filtration System
Filtrify uses multiple filtration layers, each designed to capture different types of fibers more effectively than a single filter could on its own:
Even Flow Distribution
A diffuser spreads incoming water across the full surface of the filter, preventing pressure buildup and improving performance
Biochar Core
Slows and gently mixes the water, helping microfibers collide with rough, high-surface-area carbon particles that physically trap them.
Coarse Mesh
Traps hair and large lint before they reach finer layers
By removing fibers step-by-step, Filtrify delivers stronger overall filtration while maintaining steady water flow.
Performance
Using published data from existing filtration and biochar studies, we modeled how each layer performs together. The results show that Filtrify could capture roughly 90% of microfibers per wash, especially larger fibers that cannot pass through the fine mesh.
Low Maintenance, Long-Lasting Cartridges
Research shows that a single synthetic-heavy laundry load can release about half a gram of microfibers. Based on this data, our capture estimates, and the cartridge’s internal capacity, Filtrify cartridges are designed to last 100 washes before needing replacement. All captured fibers remain sealed inside the cartridge, minimizing exposure during disposal.
Small-to-Medium Sized Households: Change every 3–6 months
Filtrify v.1
$100.00 USD + tax
External Microfiber Filter
Product Description:
Filtrify is a slim, external microfiber filter that attaches to a washing machine’s drain hose to capture harmful microfibers before they enter the sewer.
Dimensions:
Size: 6 x 2 x 12 inches (W × D × H)
What's Included:
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Stainless steel outer housing
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Removable inner filter cartridge (pre-installed)
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Wall or standpipe mounting bracket
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Hose inlet and outlet connections
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Plastic casing available for $10.00
The Landscape
How Filtrify Closes a Critical Loop in Modern Laundry
In the U.S., there are approximately 30,000–35,000 laundromats generating nearly $5 billion in annual revenue These facilities prioritize equipment that is durable and low-maintenance. Filtrify attaches directly to commercial washers, enabling microfiber capture at scale.
On the consumer side, Filtrify serves environmentally conscious home users, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, who value a compact design, simple installation, and a replaceable cartridge. Surveys show that consumers are willing to pay more for green features.
The current microfiber filtration market is dominated by a few highly visible but imperfect solutions.
PlanetCare markets itself as a premium, closed-loop cartridge system and advertises filtration efficiencies as high as 98%. However, independent testing has shown significantly lower real-world performance, closer to 25%. Users frequently report high costs, frequent cartridge replacements, odor issues, complex installation, and frustration with storing and mailing used cartridges.
Lower-cost alternatives such as the Cora Ball and Guppyfriend laundry bag offer simplicity but sacrifice effectiveness. Peer-reviewed studies indicate capture rates of approximately 31% for Cora Ball and 54% for Guppyfriend, alongside practical drawbacks like fiber tangling, difficulty collecting wet lint, and the contradiction of being made from plastics that may themselves shed microfibers.
Our Vision
Filtrify was born when five teenagers banded together to solve one of the world's most overlooked environmental challenges: microplastic pollution. Together, we engineered this ambitiously designed microfiber filter to protect our community from waste water pollution.
We are committed to creating a world where clean water is no longer compromised by everyday human activity. Microplastic pollution—often released through routine processes like laundry and dishwashing—has become a persistent threat to ecosystems and human health.
Filtrify exists to change that reality. By capturing harmful microfibers before they reach our waterways, we aim to protect ecosystems, preserve biodiversity, and support healthier communities—without requiring people to change their daily habits.
As students, researchers, and New York City residents, we see both the urgency of the problem and the opportunity for impact. Our vision is not a perfect world, but a better one: a future where microplastic levels are significantly reduced, waterways remain resilient, and environmental harm is no longer accepted as an inevitable cost of modern life.
