EU ecodesign rules must address microplastics in clothing
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) offers the opportunity to limit microplastic pollution from clothing - but the Commission’s preliminary study on apparel does not offer any performance, or even information, requirements, despite existing research that identifies hotspots of microplastic pollution across the life cycle of textiles, as well as design and manufacturing techniques that can reduce microplastics shedding from clothing.
Textiles are the fourth largest source of microplastic pollution within the European Union, whilst across the globe over 200,000 tonnes of microplastics from synthetic textiles enter the marine environment each year.
The European Commission has a global objective to reduce microplastic pollution by 30% by 2030 and must therefore provide concrete policy options in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) to ensure the transition to lower-pollution fabrics and the adoption of design and manufacturing techniques that reduce shedding rates.
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