24. Oct 2018

GKD: Playing a key role in the retention of microplastics

Whether by car, on foot, during daily personal grooming, or when doing laundry: plastic microparticles find their way into sewer systems and then into the oceans via rivers and lakes. According to estimates, some 2.5 million tons of microplastics – i.e. plastic particles less than five millimeters in size – are flushed into the oceans every year. In the battle against this global environmental problem, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) initiated one of the largest research programs in the world with 18 projects on the topic of plastics. The aim is to research the origin, distribution, and effects of the microscopic plastic particles and have solutions developed to avoid their entry into bodies of water by 2021. In several of these projects, optimized dutch weaves (ODW) from GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG, technological leader in the field of woven filter media, play a key role in terms of researching microplastics. They are proving to be a highly efficient solution, not just at sewage plant outlets but also for filtration of both mixed water and street runoff water.

The full press release is available as PDF download:

GKD Playing a key role in the retention of microplastics publication ENGKD Playing a key role in the retention of microplastics picture selection ENMicroplastic broschure