Trend Alert: Microplastics

Hello, and welcome to another week of Ahead of the Curve.

This week, we’re going to explore Microplastics.

Now, I am aware that Microplastics aren’t a new or emerging trend.

But when we break it down, we can find subtopics that are emerging:

• Microplastics in Tap Water

• Microplastics in Clothing

• Microplastic in Tea

• Microplastics Detox

• Microplastic-Free Skincare

• How to Test for Microplastics

• How to Avoid Microplastics in Food

All of these subtopics present potential businesses.

Anyway, let’s jump in.

👀 Things Worth Checking Out

• Find Your Next Million-Dollar Idea with 43 proven frameworks to help you generate profitable business ideas on demand.

• Access the internet’s largest database of business ideas - over 10,000 ideas with startup guides, growth strategies, and niche opportunities.

• The best businesses solve specific problems, so we created a database with hundreds of problems begging for a solution.

😘 Our Other Newsletters

What's the Problem?: Five problems, trends, or stats you can turn into a business. We find the opportunities, you build.

New Venture Weekly: Do you want to start a new business but don’t have an idea? Get realistic business ideas & learn how to build them every week.

🧐 The Trend Explored:

What are microplastics? They’re fragments of plastic less than 5 mm, shed from larger plastic waste or intentionally added (like microbeads in scrubs or glitter).

Why do they matter? Because they pollute every corner of our planet. Scientists have found microplastics from the summit of Mount Everest to the deepest ocean.

An estimated 171 trillion microplastic particles now float in the oceans – a tenfold increase since 2005.

These particles don’t disappear; they accumulate in food chains and water supplies. People on average may ingest or inhale tens of thousands of microplastic pieces each year (roughly 5 grams a week, about the weight of a credit card).

Why now? Microplastics have been around for decades, but recent findings have raised the stakes. Researchers discovered microplastics in human placenta, breast milk, and, sparking fears about health effects.

While the full impact on health is still uncertain, lab studies show microplastics can damage human cells and even potentially increase risks of heart attack or stroke.

This drumbeat of scientific studies, coupled with viral media coverage (the topic is trending on TikTok and other platforms), has propelled microplastics into the zeitgeist.

Public pressure is pushing policymakers to act. Governments worldwide are beginning to crack down on microplastics: the US banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics in 2015, the EU banned loose plastic glitter in 2023, and as of 2025 France now requires all new washing machines to have microfiber filters installed.

In short, microplastics have gone from an under-the-radar pollutant to a high-priority issue, creating urgent demand for solutions – and opportunities for those who can provide them.

Market Dynamics

As awareness grows, multiple industries are seeing a surge in demand. The market for microplastic filtration systems — covering water, air, and wastewater — is expected to nearly triple over the next decade, driven by regulation and consumer demand for cleaner living.

Governments are investing in large-scale water treatment upgrades, while households are buying tap and shower filters that now boast removal rates of over 99%.

Clothing is another major source of pollution, and with 35% of microplastics coming from synthetic fibres, innovation is hitting the laundry room too.

France now mandates all new washing machines include microfiber filters — a signal of what's coming globally.

Startups like PlanetCare and Xeros are leading here, and with billions of washing machines in use worldwide, it's a massive retrofit market.

Microplastic testing is also heating up. Consumers and labs alike are looking for ways to detect exposure — turning plastic particles into the next health metric to track. This category is on track to double in size, driven by at-home kits and environmental monitoring tools.

Other categories seeing tailwinds include clean beauty (removing microbeads and glitter), breweries and food producers (filtering out plastic from their products), and biodegradable materials.

Even eco-friendly glitter is booming. In short, any product that filters, replaces, or tracks microplastics is moving from niche to necessary.

Consumer Behaviour Trends

Many consumers are ditching plastic in their kitchens, replacing cookware with glass, metal, or wood alternatives.

Sales of low-tech solutions like the Guppyfriend laundry bag and Cora Ball are rising as people look for ways to reduce microfiber pollution at home.

Water pitchers, shower filters, and faucet attachments that claim to remove microplastics are also becoming household staples.

Crucially, people are willing to pay for peace of mind. A large share of consumers say they’ll spend more on products certified as “microplastic-free,” with a decent portion happy to pay 20%+ premiums.

They're not just upgrading their own routines — many are pushing for policy, too. Most support stronger regulations or outright bans on microplastic-heavy products, and there’s growing public demand for system-level fixes like mandatory washing machine filters.

For entrepreneurs, this shift signals a clear opportunity: build products that remove, replace, or prevent microplastics — and back it up with proof. The appetite is already there.

Product Innovation Opportunities

Here are five high-potential plays:

• At-Home Microplastic Test Kits
  Startups are turning exposure into a metric, just like steps or DNA. Consumers can now test their blood or tap water for microplastics via mail-in kits. Business model: DTC sales plus optional subscriptions for re-testing. The market? Anyone freaked out about what’s in their body or water.

• Microplastic-Free & Refillable Skincare
  Most personal care products still contain microplastics—glitter, exfoliants, polymer fillers. Brands like Weleda and Naïf are pushing certified “plastic-free” alternatives using salt scrubs, solid formats, and refillable packaging. Consumers are happy to pay more to keep plastic out of their pores.

• Home Water & Air Filters
  Demand is exploding for filters that promise to catch invisible plastics. Water pitchers, shower filters, travel bottles, and even air purifiers are now marketed with “microplastic removal” front and center. Smart add-ons or retrofits that target this problem specifically are ripe for disruption.

• Laundry Tools & Textile Innovation
  With clothes shedding billions of fibers, consumers are adopting tools like Guppyfriend and Cora Ball. Startups like Matter and PlanetCare are building inline washer filters for home and commercial use. There’s also a niche play in microfiber-reducing detergents or dryer vent filters.

• Bioplastics & Replacement Materials
  Long-term, the biggest prize is replacing plastic itself. From biodegradable microbeads and enzyme-infused packaging to algae-based coatings, startups that offer drop-in alternatives are positioning for compliance contracts as new microplastic bans roll out.

All of these ideas tap into the same energy: regulators, brands, and consumers all want the same thing — less plastic, fewer particles, cleaner products.