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The EU has announced further plans to crack down on microplastics after its ban on glitter came into force. From a report: The proposal, which tackles tiny pellets used in nearly all plastic products, aims to cut plastic pellet pollution by 74% by the end of the decade. Overall, it would lead to a 7% reduction in Europe’s microplastic pollution, according to the European Commission. “The most important thing is to cut pollution at the source,” said Virginijus Sinkevicius, EU commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, in an interview with the Guardian. “What we are looking to do is basically ensure we drastically cut, at the source, pollution of microplastics.”
Tiny, durable pellets of plastic — also known as nurdles or nibs — are melted down and reformed into everyday products, from office chairs to water bottles. But they leak into the environment at every stage of the supply chain. Over time, they break down into microplastics that are eaten and drunk by people and animals. The commission estimates between 52,000 and 184,000 tons of plastic pellets are released into the environment in the EU each year.
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