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25 February 2020, Brussels – <\/b>EU plans to stop firms adding microplastic to almost all products have major loopholes that would keep pollution flooding into the environment for nearly a decade and reward unproven biodegradable plastics, environmental groups are warning.<\/span><\/p>\n The European Commission has <\/span>pledged<\/span><\/a> to ban microplastic from cosmetics, paints, detergents, some farm, medical and other products to prevent 500,000 tonnes polluting mostly rivers and seas. The legal process moved forward on 23 February when a detailed proposal was presented by <\/span>ECHA<\/span><\/a> to the Commission. The legal restriction is expected to become law next year.<\/span><\/p>\n But following industry <\/span>lobbying<\/span><\/a>, the <\/span>proposal<\/span><\/a> has major loopholes, <\/span>according<\/span><\/a> to the Rethink Plastic<\/a> alliance of environmental groups. Some sectors could get up to 8 years to drop microplastic while \u2018biodegradable\u2019 microplastic that has not been shown to degrade in the environment could escape the ban. The 500,000 tonnes target will be impossible to achieve unless the proposal is improved, they calculated.<\/span><\/p>\n European Environmental Bureau chemicals policy officer Elise Vitali said:<\/b> “Microplastic pollution is everywhere: in our drinking water, our fields, filling the air in cities and even inside our bodies. The EU is right to build on its reputation of tackling plastic pollution with this new ban. But it must avoid being sidetracked by industry-sponsored loopholes. We want a quick and broad restriction with no green light for unproven biodegradable plastic.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Duguy, chemicals lawyer at ClientEarth, said:<\/b> \u201cThe EU promised to turn off the taps on microplastic pollution. Take sport pitches \u2013 it\u2019s a gigantic source of microplastics pollution and it\u2019s now up to the Commission to make sure that a full ban is in order. When it comes to cosmetics \u2013 another well-known source of this pollution \u2013 the Commission needs to reject the lenient proposal that would give the cosmetics industry a free pass to continue business as usual until 2028, even where alternatives are available.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Microplastic pollution is <\/span>irreversible <\/span><\/a>and causes <\/span>considerable <\/span><\/a>harm to the environment, with potential grave consequences for humans. EU scientific advisors have <\/span>recognised <\/span><\/a>that microplastics pose an unacceptable risk, which justifies a comprehensive ban.<\/span><\/p>\n The groups are urging the Commission to adopt a broad restriction that covers all microplastics in all sectors and uses.<\/span><\/p>\n The proposal is now in the hands of the Commission\u2019s <\/span>industry<\/span><\/a> department, which has not always shown <\/span>ambition<\/span><\/a> on chemicals policy, the NGOs said. <\/span>The Commission has until May 2021 to draft the restriction text, which will then go to a vote of member state experts. The European Parliament and Council of Ministers then have three months to object, but rarely do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ends<\/b><\/p>\n For more details, click <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> For details on ECHA\u2019s proposal and further comment, please get in touch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Contacts<\/b>
\n<\/span>\u00c9lise Vitali, European Environmental Bureau, <\/span>elise.vitali@eeb.org<\/span><\/a> + 32 456 164 678
\n<\/span>Jack Hunter, European Environmental Bureau, <\/span>jack.hunter@eeb.org<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n