Leonardo DiCaprio supports microplastics startup in Bristol

Leonardo DiCaprio is known for his starring roles in films like Don't Look Up. and 'Survivor' Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP.

Funds backed by Hollywood celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher have invested millions of pounds in a British start-up filtering microplastics from washing machines.

Technology from Bristol. Matter has committed $10m (£7.86m) to a device that will remove toxic particles from household detergents.

DiCaprio and Kutcher have invested through their funds Regeneration.VC and SOUNDwaves, which previously funded other environmental efforts.

The Matter company, which employs only 30 people, has developed a device that can be upgraded for washing. machines.

The £249 gadget uses very fine filters to trap microplastics in synthetic clothing, which can release thousands of tiny particles during each wash.

Consumers can then return the collected plastic waste to a fabric that repurposes it.

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The startup wants to license its technology to major electronics companies, as well as sell the new industrial version to textile manufacturers.

The funding round, which also includes climate investor S2G, will allow it to double its headcount.

Adam Ruth, founder and CEO of Matter, said his technology has huge potential as awareness of microplastics grows.

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“Most microplastic waste comes from textiles,” he said.

“Now billion-dollar companies are talking about their microplastic strategy. Once these guys start moving, everything will change.”

Studies have shown that the microplastics that collect in the world's oceans harm critical wildlife as they damage the growth of zooplankton, which are eaten by larger fish and marine mammals.

Other studies have shown that plastics can also damage human cells.

This problem was ignored for a long time, but legislation is now catching up.

In France, as of By 2025, all new washing machines will need to be equipped with a microplastic filter.

A multi-party group of MPs in the UK is calling for a similar policy.

Katherine Keating, managing partner of SOUNDwaves, said the new laws regarding microplastics were «inevitable given the impact of pollution on the environment and health.»

Mr Ruth welcomed the investment from his high-profile patrons but said he was more excited about the partnership with Regeneration. William McDonough of .VC, a green architect who wants to get rid of the notion of waste.