Tackling Microplastics in the Environment

Evidence-based policy recommendations on textile fibres, tire abrasion, and pellet loss

Event: Conference
Date: 9 March 2023
Location: Brussels, Belgium

Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment and have received a lot of public attention in recent years as an invisible part of global plastic pollution. Against this background, the EU Commission is planning an initiative on tackling the issue of non-intentional inputs of microplastics into the environment – as part of the European Green Deal and as one result of the Circular Economy Action Plan 2020.

Textile fibres, tire abrasion, and pellet loss are among the relevant sources of the non-intentional release of microplastics into the environment. The event "Tackling microplastics in the environment" therefore addressed these three areas on which new scientific knowledge has been published recently. It focused on specific results and policy recommendations from scientific research projects from Germany and other EU member states. The event brought together around 70 scientists, representatives from the EU institutions, as well as stakeholders from civil society and businesses.

The event took place on 9th March 2023 in the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the European Union in Brussels and was organized jointly by Ecologic Institute for the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" of Germany's Federal Ministry for Education and Research, the Collaborative Research Centre 1357 Microplastics at the University of Bayreuth and the Interest Group Plastics of the EPA network.

The agenda and the presentations of the event are available on the project website.

Sources of the unintentional release of microplastics into the environment, such as textile fibres, tire abrasion, and pellet loss, need to be tackled with regulation at EU level.

Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty

Year 2024

Publication:Policy Brief

Amidst intense global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty highlights the critical role of reducing primary plastic polymers. The Scientists' Coalition, consisting of leading scientists worldwide, argues in its latest policy brief that without a significant reduction in the production of these polymers, the effective fight against plastic pollution is not possible. The urgent call aims to draw attention to the need to break the plastic cycle at its source - the production of primary plastic polymers. This approach is crucial as it directly reduces the amount of plastics that end up in our environment.

Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

On 13 March 2024, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" highlighting the need for a global plastics treaty at a postgraduate course, where 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on why plastic pollution is a problem and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

Plastics & the Environment – Why We Need a Plastics Treaty

13 March 2024
Doris Knoblauch

News

Doris Knoblauch was an observer at the negotiations in Nairobi during the week and, as part of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (Scientist's Coalition for short), provided various negotiating delegations with scientific information. The Scientist's Coalition is an independent network of scientists around the world who conduct research on plastics, chemicals, and health, covering various disciplines and aspects. A team was on site to answer open questions quickly, scientifically and independently.

UN Negotiations on a Potential Plastics Agreement were Stuck in Nairobi

A long way to go

13 - 19 November 2023

Publication:Article

Plastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

Letter in Science

Year 2023

Publication:Article

This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year 2023

News

Photo, taken during the plastic negotiations. Text "Help us to empower the independent voice of science by supporting our involvement in the plastics treaty negotiations" and a donation button

Ecologic Institute is a UN-accredited voice for a global plastics agreement. But we lack funding for the next decisive round of negotiations in Busan (South Korea) in November 2024. By participating, we are contributing to counteracting lobbying and enabling delegates to be properly informed. In Ottawa, we are currently providing specialist information on the effects of plastic production and consumption. Your donation will enable us to strengthen independent science and continue this important work!

Strengthen the Independent Voice of Science

Support our participation in the global plastics negotiations!

22 April 2024

News

After the euphoria had been dampened at the beginning of the negotiation week in Paris, there was a good result in the end: The Chair H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez and the INC Secretariat were given a mandate to present a first draft ("zero draft") in the run-up to the next negotiations. This is an important next step. Doris Knoblauch accompanied the INC-2 negotiations in Paris for Ecologic Institute.

Why the Negotiations on the UN Plastics Agreement in Paris were a Success

An important step

29 May - 2 June 2023

Publication:Book

For many people, plastic bottles have become an indispensable part of everyday life. However, the production and throwing away of plastic bottles is harmful to the environment and the climate. Ideally, PET bottles are recycled and reused. But what happens to the bottles during the recycling process? "Die Geisterstunde" by Christian Tielmann is the third PIXI book produced as part of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment" with Stiftung Lesen and Carlsen Verlag and is dedicated to the recycling of plastic bottles.

Die Geisterstunde

Year 2023

Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Organizer: Ecologic Institute, Germany

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

EPA Network Interest group , Plastics, International

Collaborative Research Centre 1357 Microplastics, Germany
Team: Linda Mederake

Doris Knoblauch

Karl Lehmann

Johannes Seilnacht

Liliane Salla
Date: 9 March 2023
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Languages: German

English
Project: Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
Project ID: 2295
Keywords: Coastal + Marine

Economics

Education

Events

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

microplastics, textile fibres, tire abrasion, pellet loss, regulation

EU

Further Links

PublicationBrochureKey Messages of the BMBF-Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources· Sinks · Solutions"

The publication summarizes the key messages from all 20 joint research projects and the seven cross-cutting topics of the research focus. Structured along the following ten main topics, the central results are presented in order to derive recommendations for various... Read more

Hinzmann, Mandy; Knoblauch, Doris; Mederake, Linda; Schritt, Hannes; Stein, Ulf (eds.) (2022): Key messages of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment".

PublicationBrochureKey Messages of the BMBF Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment"

Cover of the publication "Key Messages of the BMBF-Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources· Sinks · Solutions". Short version"

This brochure is the short version of the publication Key Messages of the BMBF Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment". It summarizes the most important key messages from all 20 joint research projects and the seven cross-cutting topics of the research focus. The... Read more

Research focus "Plastics in the Environment" (2022): Key messages of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment". Short version.

EventConferenceMicroplastics in Soils

The international conference provided an opportunity to learn and exchange knowledge on the topic of microplastics in soils, and was aimed at scientists and decision-makers alike. The first day of the event focused on the state of the science, the second day on... Read more

Conference:Microplastics in Soils

Date: 19 - 20 October 2022
Location: online, Berlin, Germany

PublicationPodcastFrom Packaging to Microplastics: Unwrapping EU plastics policies

Ecologic Institute

Since we learned how to produce plastic, humans have manufactured more than 8.3 billion tons of it – most of which ended up as waste somewhere on the planet. This leads plastic waste to enter the landscape, rivers, beaches, and eventually ocean. We asked our listeners... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2022: From packaging to microplastics: unwrapping EU plastics policies. Podcast. 17 October 2022. Online: https://greendealbigdeal.podigee.io/6-plastic

PublicationInfographicAre Microplastics Harmful?

Graphical illustration of potential impacts of microplastics in the environment.

Are microplastics harmful? The ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in the environment is a complex task

Whether or not microplastics have harmful effects on plants and animals has not yet been conclusively established. The different properties of microplastics determine whether and how the microplastics are absorbed by living organisms and whether they are harmful to them... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2022): Plastics in the Environment. Are microplastics harmful? Infographic CC-BY 4.0. Online: https://bmbf-plastik.de/en/publication/are-microplastics-harmful

PublicationDocumentStatus Report Analysis of Microplastics

Ecologic Institute

This status report was prepared within the framework of the cross-cutting issue 1 "Analytics and reference materials" of the research focus Plastics in the Environment. It summarizes the contents of the project discussions and coordination within the cross-cutting issue... Read more

Braun, Ulrike & Stein, Ulf & Schritt, Hannes & Altmann, Korinna & Bannick, Claus Gerhard & Becker, Roland & Bitter, Hajo & Bochow, Mathias & Dierkes, Georg & Enders, Kristina et al. (2021): Analysis of Microplastics. Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods. Status Report within the framework program Plastics in the Environment.

EventConferenceMicroplastics in the Water Cycle (MiWA) – Final conference

On 10 September 2019, the final conference of the project "Mikroplastik im Wasserkreislauf" (Microplastics in the Water Cycle, MaWi for short) took place in Karlsruhe. The project results were presented and discussed at the event. A poster exhibition was also... Read more

Conference:Microplastics in the Water Cycle (MiWA) – Final conference

Date: 10 September 2019
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany