Has the Guppyfriend Bag been scientifically tested? 

Yes, it's been tested by: German Textile Research Institute DTNW, Fraunhofer Institut UMSICHT and the University of California in Santa Barbara as part of a Patagonia research program.

What were the results?

The Guppyfriend Wash Bag significantly reduces the amount of fibres breaking, with an average of 86% from entirely synthetic fibres and a 79% reduction for partly synthetic fibres, thus extending the lifetime of the garment. Microfibres are captured by the wash bag, saving them from water waste, with fibre retention measured between 90-100%.

Does the bag itself shed microfibres?

No, the bag is made out of a mesh made from monofilaments, not releasing fibres. The only part of the bag that is not made of this material is the binding tape for the zipper which extends the life of the bag, with a total surface area of 0.05m2 which is about 100 times smaller than the garments inside the bag. For example a wash bag with three fleece jumpers has a potential fibre losing surface area of 1.9m2. Guppyfriend have accepted this compromise for now, but are trying to improve this feature for the future. 

Why use synthetic materials at all?

They're great performance fabrics, enabling garments to be sweat wicking and/or waterproof. No fabric is perfect, but we've carefully chosen our fabrics weighing up their performance benefits vs environmental impact.

Did we create Guppyfriend?

No, we're simply stockists of the wash bag as we've found it is the best solution to prevent microfibre pollution.

Want to learn more?

No worries, head over to the Guppyfriend website