CLEANR, a new U.S.-based greentech venture, has won four “Best of IFA 2023” awards at IFA Berlin, the world’s largest appliance industry conference. This followed the launch of its breakthrough microplastic filter for washing machines. Washing machine wastewater is the single largest source of microplastic pollution globally, accounting for 35% of emissions.
These awards show the IFA community’s strong support not only for tech innovation but for protecting the environment.
The awards were given to CLEANR by tech bloggers, editors, and reviewers from Gadgety, Ubergizmo, Geek Spin, and One Cut Review following the company’s demonstration of its new internal and external microplastic filtering devices at the “ShowStoppers @IFA Media Reception” and in IFA’s new “Sustainability Village” (Hall 2.2).
“The recognition we’ve received from reviewers at IFA is hugely encouraging,” said Max Pennington, CEO of CLEANR. “We believe microplastic pollution can be solved in our lifetimes, and these awards show the IFA community’s strong support not only for tech innovation but for protecting the environment.”
Nature-inspired innovation
CLEANR estimates that widespread adoption of its technology in the EU and U.S. alone would prevent the equivalent of over 280 million plastic bags from entering waterways every year.
Its technology represents a significant breakthrough in microplastics filtration. Its design was inspired and adapted from the process that enables manta-rays and basking sharks to filter their food without clogging their gills.
Instead of attracting microplastic particles to the filter surface, CLEANR’s technology creates fluid patterns to form a vortex that suspends and isolates them. This concentrates the plastics into a narrow stream that empties into a biodegradable capture unit. This process is over 300% more efficient than traditional sieve and crossflow filtering.
Performance testing of CLEANR technology designed by washing machine manufacturers that hold nearly 45% of market share in Europe found that it outperformed competing solutions in nearly every test.
“We’re thankful for these awards,” said Terry Moore, executive chairman, CLEANR. “And it’s been a pleasure to participate in IFA to offer appliance makers our insights and learnings about microplastic filtration and how to help cost-effectively stop this form of pollution.”
The combined monthly online audiences for Gadgety, Ubergizmo, Geek Spin, and One Cut Review are over 1.6 million.
About CLEANR
CLEANR, Inc. builds best-in-class microplastic filters for washing machines that effortlessly remove the largest source of microplastics in the environment. Its technology represents a breakthrough in microplastics filtration, with a patent-pending design that is inspired by nature and proven to outperform conventional filtration designs by over 300%. The company is building a platform filter technology that enables product manufacturers and business customers to materially reduce their microplastic emissions from impacted fluid streams, including residential and commercial washing machine wastewater, in-home water systems, tire particles in runoff water, textile manufacturing effluents, industrial wastewater, fisheries discharge, and other sources. www.cleanr.life
