Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has announced the launch of the new Less Microfiber Filter, an external washing machine filter which can be used with select Samsung front load washing machines designed to help capture plastic microfibers released during a standard laundry wash cycle.

Convenience Every Day and at Every Stage of the Product Lifecycle

The filter’s blades can help capture microfibers, then redirect and compress these fibers to one side, meaning the filter only needs to be cleaned after approximately every 30 uses and the microfibers can be easily removed. The captured microfibers should be appropriately discarded as general waste and not washed away with water.

Sasha Botha, Head of Home Appliance, Samsung Electronics Australia said, “At Samsung, we’re committed to providing Australians with products and solutions that add further efficiencies to their days. Less Microfiber Filter not only raises awareness of a little known reality, but also provides an opportunity to inspire and enable consumers— since even the smallest steps could make a difference.”

By connecting with Samsung’s intelligent connectivity platform SmartThings, the filter can track how full it is from 0 to 100%, alerting users when cleaning or other troubleshooting is required via the SmartThings app[2].

Innovation for a Brighter Future

The development and launch of the Less Microfiber Filter are just the latest steps in Samsung’s journey.

Beyond the launch of the Less Microfiber Filter, Samsung will continue developing new technologies and products that makes life easier for customers everywhere and continue to work with partners to deliver tomorrow’s household solutions.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung Less Microfiber Filter is available from 11 March nationwide on Samsung.com/au and at key retailers including JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman, with recommended retail pricing (RRP) of $299.00.

[1] Tested at Ocean Wise Plastics Lab on the WW90T734DWH Samsung washing machine model (using a Synthetic cycle, approximately 2kg load of synthetic textile laundry with no detergent, at 40℃, wash rate of 50 revolutions per minute (RPM), motor operation rate of 82% and a spin RPM of 1200). The 98% amount was calculated by filtering drain water which passed through the Less Microfiber Filter through a 50um stainless steel filter, and comparing it against drain water from a wash cycle without the filter installed. Actual results may vary, depending on the wash cycle, type of detergent and laundry materials.

[2] Available via the SmartThings App on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required.

“The technologies we’re unveiling at CES 2023 place sustainability at the core of the user experience,” said Moohyung Lee, EVP and Head of the R&D Team of the Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our ambition is to become the most energy-efficient appliance brand globally, and our latest products and partnerships will help make sustainable living a reality for more people and more communities.”

SmartThings Maximises Energy Savings

With more than 80 million connected devices across the globe^[2], the SmartThings platform continues to expand while helping to unlock more ways for users to reduce their carbon footprint at home.

Now, SmartThings Energy’s AI Energy Mode^[3] is more powerful than ever, offering support for more devices and regions and even more significant energy savings. Testing on overseas Samsung products suggests that these energy savings include up to 15% more savings for compatible refrigerators^[4], up to 20% for compatible air conditioners^[5], and up to 35% for compatible washers^[6] on select cycles^[7]. These energy saving figures may vary locally.

Industry’s First Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) Certification

Samsung’s efforts to enrich and expand SmartThings Energy have led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to award Samsung the industry’s first mass-market Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS) certification. The certification recognises smart home appliances and services that manage and automate connected devices to help consumers gain insights into their energy use, which is designed to inspire energy-saving behaviour, helping customers to reduce costs and facilitate demand response measures that minimise stress on the grid.

The USEPA has also awarded base model Samsung home appliances in the US 260 ENERGY STAR® certifications, including 43 “Most Efficient” recognitions^[8]. Samsung is one of the long-standing leaders with more than a decade of ENERGY STAR award leadership, and a rare recipient of the prestigious ENERGY STAR Corporate Commitment Award.

Helping Make Net Zero Homes a Reality – Offering Households the Ultimate in Energy Efficiency

To empower more people to enjoy energy independence at home, Samsung has unveiled the next phase of its net zero home initiative: the Smart City Project. Working with Sterling Ranch and its long-time technology partner Siemens, the Smart City Project will help establish Sterling Ranch as a master-planned sustainable housing community designed to house 30,000 residents in Littleton, Colorado.

SmartThings Energy will serve as the residents’ primary interactive app to monitor data, with Samsung appliances offering residents real-time insights on their energy, water and natural gas use. Throughout the community, solar panels and household batteries will produce and store energy, while energy-efficient appliances will help minimise power usage and monitor water use to help save resources. Together with smart infrastructure solutions from Siemens paired with smart home and energy optimisation solution from Resideo Technologies, Samsung technologies will make it easy for the residents of Sterling Ranch to enjoy a net-zero lifestyle.

Samsung’s collaboration with Resideo, extends beyond the Smart City Project. Samsung and Resideo are exploring an opportunity to integrate Samsung’s appliances with Resideo’s smart grid solutions to connect customers with energy management programs in California and Texas. In the future, this work could help make more communities smart-grid ready by expanding Resideo’s best-in-class demand response offering and optimising SmartThings Energy’s savings.

Tackling Microplastics Head-on With ‘Less Microfibre’ Technology

While reducing the impact of devices and homes is vital to creating a sustainable future, other clear and present risks to the environment demand our attention. For over a year, Samsung and Patagonia have been working together to address the challenge of microplastics shedding during the laundry process and polluting oceans and other bodies of water.

Samsung’s new Less Microfibre Cycle^[9] and Less Microfibre Filter^[10] are products of that collaboration. A breakthrough in the fight against microplastics, the Less Microfibre Cycle (currently available on overseas models only) can cut microplastic emissions by up to 54%^[11]. Now available in Europe, the cycle will roll out to compatible washers in Korea from February this year and in the US soon ^[12].

Tests carried out on overseas models such as the model featured above have found the Less Microfibre Cycle may reduce microplastic emissions by up to 54%^[11]. The availability of this product in Australia is yet to be confirmed.

Like the Less Microfibre Cycle (the availability of which is yet to be confirmed in Australia), Samsung and Patagonia’s newly developed washing machine filter has the potential to have an impact on the health of aquatic ecosystems. The Less Microfibre Filter helps to minimise microplastic emissions by preventing them from escaping into the ocean at the end of wash cycles. It will be available in select Samsung washing machines in Australia and Europe beginning in the second half of 2023.

BESPOKE refrigerators also feature customisable door panels that support long use by allowing users to easily update their existing appliance’s design instead of replacing it with a new one.

Through close collaboration, technological breakthroughs, and a commitment to becoming the world’s most energy-efficient appliance brand, Samsung aims to lead the way to a more sustainable future. Visit Samsung.com/au to learn more about the eco-conscious innovations Samsung is showcasing at CES 2023.

[1] The new wash cycle called the Less Microfibre Cycle, is already available for select Samsung washers in Europe and will be expanded to Korea early this year and the U.S. by the end of 2023. The availability of the Less Microfibre Cycle is yet to be confirmed in Australia. The Less Microfibre Filter will be available in Australia from Q2 2023.

[2] As of December 2022.

[3] Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and Samsung account are required.

[4] Available on specific models from May 2023 through a Wi-Fi update. Test results based on a comparison of U.S. models’ factory setting temperatures with and without AI Energy Mode. Results may vary depending on usage conditions and patterns.

[5] Based on internal testing of U.S. models. Results may vary depending on the user’s actual environment and usage patterns.

[6] Based on internal testing on the WF8900B model with an 8lb IEC except for Small Load cycle (4lb IEC). Results may vary depending on actual usage conditions.

[7] Can be applied to Heavy Duty, Small Load, Towels, and Power Rinse courses only when the selected washing temperature is ‘hot’.

[8] As of November 2022. Certifications awarded to US models only.

[9] The availability of the Less Microfibre Cycle is yet to be confirmed in Australia.

[10] The Less Microfibre Filter will be available in Australia from Q2 2023.

[11] Tested with 2kg load of 100% polyester hoodies, comparing Synthetics cycle on Samsung Conventional model of European washer WW4000T and the Less Microfiber Cycle on WW7000B. The results may be different depending on the clothes and environment. Tested by the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab.

[12] The availability of the Less Microfibre Cycle is yet to be confirmed in Australia.