Microplastics in water: an invisible problem with clear solutions

Microplastics are a global environmental threat that can be found in water, air and food. Kathrin Schuhen, Managing Director of the greentech start-up Wasser 3.0 gGmbH, and her team are focusing on innovative solutions to efficiently remove microplastics and promote a circular economy. Despite often misunderstood figures, the problem is real: German sewage treatment plants alone release up to 500 tons of microplastics into the environment every year. However, the solution does not lie in removing them from the oceans, but rather at the source of the pollution – in industry, sewage treatment plants and production.

Wasser 3.0 process

Wasser 3.0 has developed a process that makes invisible microplastics visible, clumps them together and separates them. The collected particles are then recycled as raw materials, creating a sustainable circular economy. Thanks to the simple plant construction and low energy consumption, this technology is not only ecologically but also economically attractive.

Microplastics are not a problem for the future – they are already affecting us today. Innovative solutions like this are the key to long-term protection of the environment, biodiversity and health.