A Royal Visit to Matter: Advancing the Fight Against Microplastic Pollution

Today marked a milestone for Matter as we welcomed His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to our Bristol headquarters. The visit followed our recognition as finalists in the 2025 Earthshot Prize, a moment that has helped propel our mission on to the global stage.

During his time with us, the Prince explored how our team is developing technology to stop microplastics from entering rivers, seas, and eventually the food chain. He spent time with our engineers and researchers to understand how our filtration systems work and how they can be deployed at scale, from individual homes to major industrial facilities.

One highlight of the visit was a hands‑on demonstration of our domestic filtration system, a device designed to fit onto household washing machines and capture microfibres before they reach wastewater systems. He then toured our commercial‑scale systems and engaged in conversation with our brand partners about the wider potential of this technology across global supply chains.

As the founder of The Earthshot Prize, the Prince of Wales has long championed bold, practical solutions to environmental challenges. His visit underscored the urgency of tackling microplastic pollution — a crisis that now sees an estimated 171 trillion particles circulating in the world’s oceans. These tiny fragments disrupt marine ecosystems, interfere with the ocean’s ability to store carbon, and are increasingly being detected in the human body.

Matter’s response to this challenge is Regen®, our breakthrough filtration technology designed to capture microplastics at the point of release. Regen® is self‑cleaning, energy‑efficient, and adaptable across industries. It delivers environmental impact while also reducing operational costs, making it a powerful tool for widespread adoption.

Regen® is already proving its value. In homes, it powers the Bosch and Siemens Microplastic Filters, capturing up to 97% of microplastics without the need for replacement cartridges. In textile manufacturing, it is the first system built specifically to target microplastic fibres at industrial scale and pilot projects are being deployed in textile processing plants globally.

But technology alone isn’t enough. We are calling on textile producers, clothing brands, washing machine manufacturers, and policymakers to take decisive action. Cleaner water and responsible production must become standard practice, not an aspiration.

By 2030, our goal is to deploy enough solutions across laundry and textiles to prevent 15,000 tonnes of microfibre pollution. Regen® is only the beginning of what we intend to achieve.

Reflecting on the visit, Adam Root, Founder and CEO of Matter, said:

“Our mission is to create impact at a size and scale that meets the enormity of the microplastic pollution challenge. The Earthshot Prize has provided us with the platform to make that impact global – enabling us to work with some of the world’s most progressive companies and integrate our solutions into the largest supply chains. Having His Royal Highness here is a huge celebration of the work that the team have done but it also shows a commitment to reviving the world’s oceans. This tangible solution in the industrial space has real impact and we cannot wait to see where it goes from here.”

The visit was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when innovation, collaboration, and urgency come together. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and even more determined about where we’re heading.