Guppyfriend Washing Bag
Product code: 422515
GuppyFriend »
Purchase Options
Earn 125 reward points on this item
In Stock : Available for despatch today
Gift wrap available
Product Description
This eco friendly washing bag is made of untreated nylon and is a pragmatic solution to prevent synthetic microfibers from entering into rivers and oceans. Every time you wash your clothes, tiny fragments of almost invisible fibres from the garment get washed into our rivers, water ways and oceans, so small that sewage treatment plants cannot effectively filter out these micro fibres. Once in the environment, these micro fibres are consumed by aquatic organisms, which can result in gastrointestinal infections and blockages, reproductive problems, and starvation – problems that ultimately work their way up the food chain.
The Guppyfriend bag captures micro fibres and hinders them from making their way into the marine ecosystem. After a while you can peel out a ball of fibres and discard it in the plastic recycling bin.
Due to Its soft surface, it also results in less fibre loss which protects your garments thus extending their lifetime as well as being a daily reminder to wash less and to buy better - something we can all do to make a difference.Plastic pollution in the oceans is one of the biggest environmental issues of our time, and the Guppyfriend is a great option for everyone who wants to do their bit to prevent plastic emissions and promote environmental friendly living.
50x75 cm
100% polyamide
Made in Europe
PLEASE NOTE: Liquid detergent should be used and not powder for best results. In tests done by the manufacturer, the Guppyfriend was washed at a maximum temperature of 40°C. Therefore, we do not recommend washing hotter than 40°
Related Videos
Product Ethics & Tags
The Guppyfriend Washing Bag product ethics are indicated below. To learn more about these product ethics and to see related products, follow the links below.
34 Reviews
I understand this is one of the better products for preventing microplastics shedding from clothes, but I find they don't last that long. I only do a couple of washes per week, which usually have one or two synthetic items, and am now on my fourth bag in three years. The material it's made from crinkles when it dries, which seems to cause small holes to appear in it over time - obviously it's then useless. Other bags have died when the zip broke beyond use, or the whole thing split open in the machine (lesson learned: you can't put much in it). Unfortunately then the only place for it is landfill.
Just like other users, I have struggled with the quality of the zip in this otherwise useful product. I also contacted the company when the first zip went after about six months' use a few years ago, and received an unhelpful response. I have replaced the zip three times now (expensive, and very tedious work) and am now using the mostbheavy-duty plastic one which a local haberdasher could supply. Given that this is clearly a persistent problem, I was hoping that the company would have improved this very expensive product by now. From recent reviews, this is clearly not the case; as other uses have commented, a good idea, poorly executed.
I have two of these bags which I used religiously to begin with and found that quite a lot of fibres collected at the ends of the band at the opening, as promised by the manufacturer. However, like many other reviewers, I found that after a few months of use, the metal tags on the zips broke off, making it extremely difficult to do up or undo the bags. The remaining zip part is quite sharp, so if I still use the bags (which is quite an effort, using my thumb nail to drag the zipper closed), the zip has to be pushed completely under the fabric cover at the end, otherwise it snags on other fabrics in the wash and damages them. I wrote to the manufacturers about this problem and asked them to upgrade the zipper, but after asking me a lot of questions about how I used the bag, what temperature wash I used it with etc, their customer service contact offered to supply another one, post-free. It seems they weren’t offering to supply the bag free, just the postage from Switzerland, as I never received a replacement! I wouldn’t spend another £25 on a sub-standard product. If they improve the zipper, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy again as it’s a good idea badly executed.
2 Questions
Rae asked this question on 24th Nov 2018
Q: Does the bag itself release any fibres? rnWhat percentage of microfibres escape? rnWhat research has been done on the bag? rnHow long does it last? rnHow is it disposed of? rnThanks
A: Hi,
Thanks for the query. Lifespan depends on the amount you use it. If you follow the washing instructions and use conservatively, then you should get a years worth of washes from it.
The GuppyFriend uses monofilaments, which are more similar to sticks than fibres, and do not shed at all. If damaged, the zipper of this GuppyFriend can potentially release a very small amount of fibres during a wash.
Rigorous research has been conducted by Fraunhofer Institut UMSICHT and the German Textile Research Institute, DTNW. They have found that the GuppyFriend prevents 79% of partly synthetic clothing fibres from escaping and 86% of wholly synthetic textile fibres from escaping.
The GuppyFriend can also be recycled after use. Everything apart from the zipper can be recycled as normal, or sent back to GuppyFriend themselves to repurpose for future washing bags.
Hope this helps,
Kind Regards
146 out of 147 found this question and answer helpful.
Did you find this Q&A helpful?
Meo asked this question on 13th Mar 2019
Q: Can this product be used with my 'eco-egg' laundry washer?
A: Hi,
Thanks for the query. Guppyfriend washing bags work best when paired with liquid detergent, so ecoballs and ecoeggs would not clean effectively on their own.
Hope this helps,
114 out of 116 found this question and answer helpful.
Did you find this Q&A helpful?
About GuppyFriend
The extent of the problem of plastic pollution goes further than most people know, it’s not just the plastic straws and plastic bags that get thrown away, but the problem goes much further and is in so many hidden places. Microbeads have been successfully banned however there is still a problem with micro fibers which exist in synthetic textiles, when you wash clothes, neither your washing machine or wastewater treatment plant are able to filter the tiny plastic particles from synthetic textiles.
These tiny plastic particles once in the environment degrade into smaller pieces and persist and end up in the food chain. The problem is huge, but because these are tiny hidden particles it’s not as obvious as the plastic bag problem.
Guppyfriend is a solution to help capture micro fibres and hinder them from making their way into the marine ecosystem.
Plastic pollution in the oceans is one of the biggest environmental issues we face, and the Guppyfriend Washing Bag is a great option for everyone who wants to do their bit to prevent plastic emissions and promote environmental friendly living.
Delivery
Please see our Despatch & Delivery page for more information on delivery areas, services and charges.