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(Alliance News) - Xeros Technology Group PLC on Wednesday said its patent application for microfibre filters in domestic washing machines has been published.
Shares in water saving and effluent reduction technology firm Xeros soared 33% in London on Wednesday morning to 8.35 pence.
The patent application for the device, trademarked XFiltra, can now be licenced by domestic washing machine manufacturers. The application was published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
"XFiltra is a combined filter, pump and de-watering unit", Xeros said, intended to be incorporated into a front-loading washing machine in order to filter out microfibres from synthetic fabrics likes polyester and nylon.
Xeros noted that the washing of clothes made from synthetic fibres is "the single biggest source of primary microplastics released into the oceans every year", with up to 700,000 microfibres released into the environment in just one domestic wash cycle.
Xeros Chief Executive Mark Nichols said: "Solving the issue of microplastic particles entering the environment from the clothes will require action at many points of the supply chain including washing machines. We are now engaged in meaningful discussions with washing machine manufacturers, retailers and clothing brands regarding XFiltra - this represents a giant step towards reducing the largest source of primary microplastic pollution in the ocean."