EU proposes a ban on microplastics covering about 90% of pollutants

In order to tackle the ever increasing problem of plastic pollution, the European Chemicals Agency (Echa) has proposed a ban on microplastics that are mostly unnecessary and have been added to products just for convenience or profit. The ban would cover almost 90% of the pollutants and attempt to cut 400,000 tonnes of plastic pollution in 20 years.

Baskut Tuncak, the UN’s special rapporteur on hazardous substances and wastes, said: “Microplastics are a growing concern to a number of human rights. The steps proposed by Echa are necessary to help ensure present and future generations can enjoy what is their human right: a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.”

It should be noted that every year, Europe releases a bulk amount of microplastics six times bigger than the “Great Pacific garbage patch” into the environment – the equivalent of 10 billion plastic bottles.

Read more here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/30/eu-european-union-proposes-microplastics-ban-plastic-pollution