eu commission adopts new rules under the EU REACH Regulation to restrict intentional microplastics in products

Great news, and an important (but not the last!) step to reduce #MicroplasticEmissions into the #Environment, that for the most part, end up in the #Ocean. 💪 Read on....

With these new rules, the #EUCommission is tackling "intentional" Microplastic Emissions i.e. those included by producers in wash-off cosmetics, whitening toothpaste, detergents, artificial sports surfaces, etc., and the Commission is to be congratulated for this. 👏 They estimate that it will stop 500,000 tonnes of microplastics over 20 years. Not bad, but there are in fact even "bigger fish to fry" 😟 !

The next step will be to tackle the much larger problem of "unintentional" Microplastic Emissions i.e. those that enter the environment from wear and tear of #Paint, #Textiles, #Tyres, and from #Pellets. 

Taking just Paint alone, science based, data driven research (Paruta et al., 2022) found that Microplastic Emissions from Paint amounted to 1,900,000 tonnes in 2019!  The Pew Charitable Trusts also confirmed that Paint is the biggest source of Microplastic Pollution. See their quiz 👉 https://lnkd.in/eS3VMRga. As we all know, #PaintIsPlastic!

Add the Microplastics from Textiles, Tyres and Pellets to those from Paint, and you realise the scale of the unintentional Microplastic Emissions problem.

The #EUCommission report on regulatory measures to tackle this problem is due very soon. 

#SDG14  #PaintMicroplastics  #SaveOurOcean #GlobalPlasticsTreaty #Biz4PlasticsTreaty

To learn more about the new EU Rules, follow this link 👉
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_4581