Max Pennington, 22, and his fellow co-founders of Cleanr Inc. already have created about 200 prototypes of their microplastics filter for washing machines.
Pennington and the company's two other co-founders, Chip Miller, 22, and David Dillman, 21, "did a lot of failing and a lot of learning" during their first year of work as students at Case Western Reserve University, Pennington said.
Editor’s note: This story is part of Cleveland Inno’s Under 25 program, a platform to recognize rising innovators under the age of 25 who are making big moves with their companies across Northeast Ohio.
The friends did much of that work — and still do — at the ThinkBox at Case Western Reserve, a 50,000-square-foot innovation center on the university's campus. Their company, Cleanr, was a finalist in this year's MAGNET Mspire pitch competition.
Pennington, who graduated with a bachelor's in chemical engineering earlier this year, remembers finding out about the problems posed by tiny plastic particles in the environment.
Small plastic spheres in exfoliating face washes, plastic powder in toothpastes and sunscreens, and particles shed by water bottles, paints and electronics as they break down get into our waterways and our bodies, according to Yale University. Microplastics have been shown to cause damage to human cells, including both allergic reactions and cell death, according to research quoted by National Geographic.
"The single largest source of microplastics in our environment is our clothes," Pennington said.
About 60% of our clothing is made from synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, that shed plastic fibers in the washer, Pennington said.
So Pennington, Miller and Dillman set about designing a washing machine filter that would keep microplastics out of waterways and satisfy a growing number of laws.
France was first, enacting a law in 2021 that calls for mandatory microfiber filters on new washing machines by 2025, according to PlanetCare.org. The United Kingdom and California are working on similar legislation, while Canada and Australia are considering legislation, Pennington said.
The founders are using money from friends, family and a few angel investors to prototype and test filters for new washing machines as well as retrofit filters for existing machines. The founders also are preparing to start a pilot test of the retrofit filter in dormitory washing machines at Case Western Reserve, Pennington said.
Eventually, the founders plan to work with partners, such as washing machine makers, to scale up filter manufacturing and use.
"We're pushing to be commercial in fewer than three years," Pennington said.
