Podcast appearances and mentions of cora ball

Every wash cycle sheds plastic. Last Monday, Andrew talked with Dr. Anja Brandon of Ocean Conservancy about microfiber pollution, and one question from that conversation stuck with him: has anyone actually fixed this yet? In this solo follow-up, Andrew traces a microfiber's actual path, from the moment agitation, heat, and detergent work it loose from a shirt, through the drain, into a wastewater treatment plant, and out the other side into biosolids, farmland, rivers, and the ocean, with a growing body of research suggesting some of it ends up in human lungs and even in the human placenta. Along the way, Andrew digs into what actually controls how much a load of laundry sheds (full loads shed less per item than half-empty ones, machine type matters, and detergent's role is murkier than expected), what the current health research says about needle-shaped fibers lodging in tissue once they're inhaled or ingested, and why a fix that already exists, a washing machine filter, keeps stalling out politically. France passed the world's first law requiring one, and it still isn't enforced. California tried and got vetoed over a cost of about $14 to $20 per machine. A federal bill is sitting in committee. Andrew also runs through the three consumer-level options available right now: the Cora Ball, a Guppyfriend mesh washing bag, and a PlanetCare retrofit filter, each with a different tradeoff between cost, maintenance, and how much they actually catch. This episode sets up tomorrow's deep dive into Ocean Conservancy's Not Safe for Wash campaign, including the capture-rate dispute between Ocean Conservancy and the appliance manufacturers' trade group that's currently stalling the push for a federal requirement. Takeaways: A single load of synthetic laundry can shed anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of microfibers, and agitation is the best-documented cause, though machine type, wash temperature, and detergent all play a role too. A full load of laundry sheds less per item than a half-empty one, because more fabric-on-fabric contact is actually less abrasive than items tumbling loosely with excess water. Fibers that make it past a wastewater treatment plant often end up in biosolids, which get spread on farmland as fertilizer, meaning they're relocated rather than actually removed from the environment. Emerging research has found textile-linked microplastic fibers in human lung tissue and in every human placenta tested in a 2024 study, with inhaled nylon fibers shown to disrupt developing airway cells. A washing machine filter can capture the large majority of shed microfibers for an estimated $14 to $20 added to the cost of a machine, but France's 2025 filter law remains unenforced, California vetoed its own version in 2023, and a federal bill is still in committee. Consumer-level options exist today: a Cora Ball, a Guppyfriend mesh washing bag, or a PlanetCare retrofit filter, each trading off cost, maintenance, and capture rate differently. Ocean Conservancy Website: https://oceanconservancy.org/work/plastics/ Support Independent Podcasts: https://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube  

Every time you run a load of laundry, your washing machine sheds plastic. Not metaphorically: synthetic clothing made from polyester, nylon, and rayon releases microfibers with every wash, and depending on the study, a single load can shed anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of them. Most of us have never thought about it, because unlike a plastic bag on the beach, you can't see it happening. In this episode, Andrew talks with Dr. Anja Brandon, Director of Plastics Policy at Ocean Conservancy, about the plastic pollution problem hiding in plain sight behind the more familiar debates over straws and single-use bottles. Anja's own path here started at an aquarium, not a policy office. She volunteered there as a student, went on to earn a PhD in environmental engineering from Stanford studying plastic-degrading bacteria, then took a detour into policy through an AAAS/AGU Congressional Science Fellowship, spending a year working inside Senator Jeff Merkley's office translating science into legislation before joining Ocean Conservancy to help build out its plastics policy program from the ground up. Andrew and Anja dig into that career pivot in detail, including her honest read on why plastic-eating bacteria research, despite the viral videos, is still a long way from solving this problem at scale. From there, the conversation gets practical. Anja walks through what actually happens to a microfiber after it leaves your washing machine (wastewater treatment, biosolids used as fertilizer, and eventually rivers, lakes, and oceans), why its needle-like shape makes it unusually good at lodging in tissue once ingested, and what the evidence says about ocean wildlife and human health. Then she lays out the fix: retrofit filters, low-tech options like the Cora Ball and mesh laundry bags, and Ocean Conservancy's "Not Safe for Wash" (NSFW) campaign pushing for a legal requirement that new washing machines ship with a microfiber filter, the same way seatbelts got phased into cars. California's SB 54 comes up as a model for how extended producer responsibility policy can make manufacturers, not individual households, absorb the cost of the plastic they put into the world. Takeaways: Synthetic clothing sheds microfibers every time it's made, worn, and washed, and depending on the study, a single load of laundry can release anywhere from a few hundred thousand to millions of them. Shed microfibers mostly end up caught in wastewater treatment biosolids, which are frequently applied to farmland as fertilizer, meaning they get moved around rather than actually removed from the environment. A retrofit or built-in washing machine filter can capture up to 90% of the microfibers a wash cycle would otherwise release, and Ocean Conservancy's own polling found roughly 8 in 10 Americans support requiring them. No U.S. state currently requires washing machine microfiber filters, though several have introduced legislation and a similar bill has been introduced federally. California's SB 54 uses an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model, making the companies that create plastic packaging financially responsible for its end-of-life costs rather than leaving that bill with taxpayers and consumers. Lower-cost individual options exist too: full loads over small ones, lower wash temperatures, less soap, a Cora Ball, or a fine mesh laundry bag for synthetic fabrics. Ocean Conservation Plastic Pollution webiste: https://oceanconservancy.org/work/plastics/ Support Independent Podcasts: https://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube    

The Hidden Danger in Your Laundry: How Your Clothes Pollute Oceans" Did you know your washing machine might be a major contributor to ocean pollution? Each wash releases millions of microplastic fibres, invisible to the naked eye but devastating to marine ecosystems and human health. Join us as we welcome Rachael Miller, founder of the Rosalia Project and inventor of the innovative Cora Ball, designed to catch harmful microfibres before they reach our waters. Rachael shares alarming insights, practical solutions, and groundbreaking ideas from her years of frontline ocean research. Find out how small daily habits can become powerful tools to protect our planet and safeguard our future. Listen now to discover the hidden impacts of your laundry—and how you can help save our oceans!

Rachael Z. Miller is a leading voice in the fight against microfiber pollution, the plastic smog that trails our clothing like exhaust from a car. You might not see them, but our synthetic clothing sheds millions of tiny plastic fibers that make their way into our atmosphere, oceans, and rivers. It's been less than a century since the introduction of synthetic textiles — nylon was the first about 90 years ago — but microfibers are already found everywhere on the planet, from the peaks of the Himalayas to the guts and bloodstreams of our bodies and those of mammals and marine life. As the founder of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, Rachael has dedicated herself to documenting and mitigating the impact of this invisible pollutant, including launching the Cora Ball, a laundry accessory that reduces the microfibers released during a wash.Rachael's work shines a light on how something as simple as washing our clothes can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and wildlife, as the story she shared in a recent Earth911 explains: Polar Bears and Penguins Aren't Wearing Our Clothes But They Might Be Eating Them. She's also a National Geographic Explorer who has visited the Arctic and Antarctic to study the spread of microfibers. We discuss Rachael's pioneering efforts to raise awareness, her innovative solutions, and what we can all do to reduce microfiber pollution in our daily lives. Tune in for a conversation that could change how you think about your laundry routine. You can find out more about Rachael and her work at https://www.rozaliaproject.org/Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube.

Rachael Miller is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean and co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world's first microfiber-catching laundry ball. She is an expedition scientist, National Geographic Explorer, and Explorers Club Fellow. Rachael captains the 60' sailing research vessel, AMERICAN PROMISE, certified hundreds of people to be sailing instructors, trained Navy SEALS to find unexploded mines using underwater robots, and mentors young scientists at the New York Harbor School. She lives in Vermont and loves the snow as much as the sea.  Emma sat down with Rachael at her home in Vermont to talk about her winding path through sailing, science, and all things water. -- If you liked this conversation you'll LOVE The QUARTERDECK, 59 North's 'deep dives on the art of seamanship.' Join our interactive community and get involved in the conversation at quarterdeck.59-north.com. First two weeks FREE, then multiple pricing options thereafter.  -- ON THE WIND is presented by Athletic Greens. Podcast listeners can redeem their special discount at athleticgreens.com/onthewind. The show is also presented by Broadreach, worldwide adventure travel programs for teenagers. Sign up at gobroadreach.com/onthewind.

Rachael Zoe Miller is an expedition scientist, inventor, National Geographic Explorer and Explorers Club Fellow working to protect the ocean. She is the Founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, a nonprofit working on the problem of marine debris, co-inventor/CEO of the Cora Ball.Rachael captained the 60' sailing research vessel, American Promise. She has lead teams on expeditions whose scientific results are published in peer-reviewed journals and education programs that inspire thousands of people of all ages.

Today's guest, has, in her own words, devoted her life to protecting the world's oceans and connect people to it….She's a scientist and archaeologist.who studied at Brown University, lives in Vermont.Racheal Zoe Miller lives for everything water….in all its forms, in winter she's skiing, moguls in particular, or riding her fat tire bike with spikes on it that grip ice or snow, in spring summer and fall she's sailing, or wing-foiling, which involves handling a two-handed wing with a hydrofoil mounted on a short Stand Up Paddle board….She has her 50-ton master captain's license and captains a 60-foot sailing research vessel called the American Promise…Over the last 10 years, her company, the Rozalia Project has removed more than a million pieces of trash from waterways and inspired tens of thousands of people through direct programs. Rachael is also an inventor, of The Cora Ball, the world's first microfiber-catching laundry ball. She is focused on protecting the ocean, specifically addressing the problem of marine debris through cleanup, prevention through education, embracing innovation and technology, and solutions-based research in urban and coastal waters from surface to seafloor. She's nuts, about water, that is….and even more so about keeping plastic and man made microfibers out of the water….where it literally kills countless sea creatures large and small.One of Rachael's early entrepreneurial businesses was giving shipwreck tours with ROV's on Lake Champlain, using REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE….yes there are shipwrecks on Lake Champlain,....she taught snow kiting and stand up paddling…. All these experiences led to her current and ongoing endeavor, the ROSALIA PROJECT,My recent conversation with Rachael began when I asked how she found her calling in life, and like so many creative and productive people I've met here on the podcast and beyond, I suggested that the path is never without surprising twists and turns, and as we follow our intuition, our heart, somehow, someway, what we were called to do finds us, just as much as we find it….Here's my conversation with Rachael Zoe Miller, picking up on the meandering spirit of a college student seeking her calling. 

Episode 2: In Part Two of Lori's interview with Rachael Z Miller, Exploratory Scientist, Creator Of the Cora Ball, Ocean Lover, and National Geographic Explorer, Rachael talks about her life philosophy, her advice for younger scientists, and exploration on the Hudson River. Song “Beautiful Too” Written and Sung By: Teghan Devon

Episode 1: In Part One of Lori's interview with Rachael Z Miller, Exploratory Scientist, Creator Of the Cora Ball, Ocean Lover, and National Geographic Explorer, Rachael talks about her love of the ocean, her path to becoming a scientist, and how she remains hopeful. Song “Beautiful Too” Written and Sung By: Teghan Devon

Join Erin as she learns everything there is to know about microplastics and marine debris with Captain Rachael Miller, co-founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean (rozaliaproject.org), captain aboard American Promise and founder/CEO of the Cora Ball (coraball.com). We dive into Rachael's research, her passion for the ocean, a top-hat wearing ROV, and a deeply disturbing fact about beer. Ships mentioned in this episode: Adventuress, AJ Meerwald, Tole Mour, Westward and Sea Education AssociationThis was recorded back in April and was the second interview we conducted due to technical issues the first time around. This interview has been edited to include both conversations. Support Tall Ships America by becoming a member! www.tallshipsamerica.org 

For episode 26, I chat to Fiona from All Things Fiona Lily about re-imagining clothes destined for landfill and setting up her own zero waste coffee shop in Donegal. Follow Fiona on instagram @allthingsfionalily to keep up to date with orders and get some positive content in your feed! If you'd like to support this podcast, you can buy me a coffee or check out my patreon. Don't forget to rate and review. X We chat about: [4:43] When Fiona became more eco-aware. [07:55] The journey from working in fast to slow fashion. [10:20] How much unsold clothes are sent to landfill. [11:30] How Fiona finds her stock. [16:05] How the 'faulty' jumpers are repaired. [16:55] The conflicting worry that stock might dry up. [18:30] Where the positive designs come from. [21:00] The setting up of her café Simply Green. [33:30] Quick guide to washing clothes with polyester in them. Also Mentioned: Organic centre training courses. Ninecrows. Whitehill eco farm. GuppyFriend. Cora Ball. 

In our debut episode, we chat with Carry Somers, co-founder and Global Operations Director of Fashion Revolution, and Sara Longo, Vice President of Style412, about the impact of microplastics in the fashion industry at large and in Pittsburgh. eXXpedition, all-female voyages exploring the impact of plastic and toxic pollution in our ocean. Cora Ball, world's first microfiber catching laundry ballFashion Resolution / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter#WhatsInMyClothes / #WhoMadeMyClothes / #IMadeYourClothesFor more Style412 Fashion Revolution content:Style412 Fashion Revolution webpageInstagramFacebook

According to a recent study, a single fleece jacket can release up to 250,000 microfibres in just one single load of washing. Those fibres are going straight into our waters and into our food chain, which means that we could actually be eating our own clothes! Rachael Z. Miller has found a way to fight the microfibre nightmare, one laundry wash at a time. Creator of the Cora Ball, a device that helps to catch the micro-plastics from your laundry water, Rachael is big on little acts of sustainability. In today’s episode we talk all things ‘global plastics crisis’, zeroing in on micro-plastics. We chat about her incredible invention and how it’s designed to help anyone who wears and washes clothes to reduce microfibre pollution.   Key takeaways: Throw the Cora Ball into your washing machine and it will catch the microfibres, stopping them going down the drain and ending up in our waterways. The device's design was modelled on coral! Coral feeds by catching little objects as water washes through and past it. The Cora Ball can catch up to 26% of the fibres that would otherwise wash down your drain! If you have a big washing machine Rachael recommends using 2 or 3 balls. Any textile (clothing, bedding, curtains, etc), even natural fibres, is vulnerable to breaking down in the wash.   Links and resources: https://www.nourishedlife.com.au/brand/cora-ball.html http://rozaliaproject.org/stop-microfiber-pollution/   Join my podcast Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/411413173057787   Connect: https://www.nourishedlife.com.au/podcast https://www.facebook.com/nourishedlife/ https://www.instagram.com/nourishedlife/

She’s the most comfortable in the water albeit a little clumsy on land. If there’s one way to describe Rachael, it’d be this spitfire energy; which is ironic given her love for all things water. It got to a point where she had to make a choice between either sailing or swimming competitively, because obviously, she was doing both. With a hand in just about everything, a jack of all trades, she’s a prime example in that you can’t take anything at face value. In this case, surface value. Former olympic candidate, snow kite and windsurfing instructor, and the first in North America to offer ROV supported shipwreck tours, she’s the founder of nonprofit Rozalia Project and Cora Ball, acting as spokesperson for our oceans. Through technology, innovation, solutions-based research, STEM programs, and a recent expansion into products, she’s bridging that land-sea disconnect between us humans and our home. This is “Middle Brainer” with Rachael Z Miller. You can find Rozalia Project and Cora Ball at: https://rozaliaproject.org/ https://www.instagram.com/rozaliaproject/ https://coraball.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thecoraball/ Please share your thoughts and show us some love by subscribing, or get in touch to be featured on the podcast! Released every other Monday - thanks for lending us an ear. https://www.gutsnglory.online/ https://www.instagram.com/gutssnglory/ yougotgutsyouareglory@gmail.com

What do we need to know about how microplastic pollution impacts our health and the health of our natural ecosystems? Why can natural microfibers shed from our clothes also be problematic when they wash down the drain? Sharing her wisdom here is Rachael Miller, the Co-Founder of Rozalia Project and the Founder of Cora Ball, a solution that keeps microplastics from our clothing from washing down the drain. Let's dive in!   *Become a patron for bonus episodes, access to our Green Dreamer Network, and more: www.greendreamer.com/support   HIGHLIGHTS    [9:23] Rachael explains how our clothing and textiles break apart and shed microfibers. [11:42] Why our clothing made from natural fibers (and not just synthetics) can also be problematic. [15:47] Rachael talks about how her team designed Cora Ball through biomimicry.   [25:16] Rachael: "Everyone who wears and washes clothes is part of this problem... And everyone who wears and washes clothes can be a part of this solution." [27:41] Rachael: "Unlike microbeads, there is no one solution here." [29:41] Kaméa: "How do you think we can move towards a more preventive system?"   Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/124, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!   *Become a patron for bonus episodes, access to our Green Dreamer Network, and more: www.greendreamer.com/support

What do we need to know about how microplastic pollution impacts our health and the health of our natural ecosystems? Why can natural microfibers shed from our clothes also be problematic when they wash down the drain? Sharing her wisdom here is Rachael Miller, the Co-Founder of Rozalia Project and the Founder of Cora Ball, a solution that keeps microplastics from our clothing from washing down the drain. Let's dive in!   *Become a patron for bonus episodes, access to our Green Dreamer Network, and more: www.greendreamer.com/support   HIGHLIGHTS    [9:23] Rachael explains how our clothing and textiles break apart and shed microfibers. [11:42] Why our clothing made from natural fibers (and not just synthetics) can also be problematic. [15:47] Rachael talks about how her team designed Cora Ball through biomimicry.   [25:16] Rachael: "Everyone who wears and washes clothes is part of this problem... And everyone who wears and washes clothes can be a part of this solution." [27:41] Rachael: "Unlike microbeads, there is no one solution here." [29:41] Kaméa: "How do you think we can move towards a more preventive system?"   Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com/124, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!   *Become a patron for bonus episodes, access to our Green Dreamer Network, and more: www.greendreamer.com/support

Episode #10 brings us a wealth of knowledge, activism, and edutainment with Rachel Miller, Founder/CEO of Cora Ball and co-Founder of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean. Rachael and I discuss our shared history, last name, her passion, and mission while spreading the word on the dangers of microplastics and what we can do to have an impact.  We discuss her journey to founding Rozalia Project and more recently, the amazingly successful Kickstarter and now E-commerce site for the Cora Ball.