text: From plastic, against plastic - The Portugal News
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  Startup Skizo, created at UPTEC: University of Porto Science and Technology Park, have now created a laundry bag that collects the micro plastics released by fibres and prevents them from being sent to rivers and oceans.
  By TPN/Lusa, in News · 06 Aug 2021, 01:00 · 0 Comments
  The bag was produced from discarded fishing nets and plastic collected from the Portuguese coast and beaches by local fishermen, which were later transformed into textile material by Northern companies.
  Cited in the document, André Facote, CEO and co-founder of Skizo, states that it is estimated that "35 percent of microplastics released into the ocean come from the wear of synthetic textiles during washing". "These micro plastics are ingested by fish, which we then consume", he warns, adding that this bag is "the first step" to help solve this environmental problem.
  According to André Facote, to use the bag, all you have to do is fill it with about two thirds of synthetic clothing and place it in the machine, along with other items of clothing. "Since the bags are made with a thin layer of polyamide (textile from nets) with openings of about 50 micrometres, the fibres that can be released from synthetic clothes are retained in the bag and can be recycled", he assures.
  The technological company's next steps in the development phase involves studying the possibility of "giving a second life to the microplastics collected in the bag", as well as investing in the production of bathing suits from discarded fishing nets. So far, the brand, which started its product line with the development of sneakers, has already made sales to several European countries, to Brazil, the United States of America and Canada.
  The 'startup' has also created beach bags made with plastic from the ocean, recycled cotton and linen, and this month intends to launch a new design of personalised sneakers. The products are only produced after ordering, so that "only the resources necessary for market demand are used", says its co-founder.