ETC HE Report 2024/15: Microplastic releases in the European Union

This study assesses progress towards the Zero Pollution Action Plan (ZPAP) goal of reducing microplastic emissions into the environment by 30% by 2030. The lack of consistent EU monitoring data and harmonised analytical methods makes it necessary to define new indicators. Following the European Commission's Impact Assessment Report “Combatting microplastic pollution in the European Union”, this study examines trends from 2016 to 2022 in key sources of microplastics, including tyre abrasion, plastic pellets, paints and textiles and develops qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses. Based on data from Eurostat and sectoral reports, the report defines a composite indicator which shows a 7.5-8.6% increase in emissions over this period. Specifically, indicators for tyre abrasion rose by 12.3%, plastic pellets by 7%, and paint by 5%. Despite uncertainties in estimates, the findings suggest that microplastic emissions have not decreased since 2016, confirming the importance of recent or forthcoming European initiatives to reduce microplastic emissions (REACH restriction, Euro7, etc.).

31 Jan 2025

Pierre Boucard (Ineris), Cynthia Denize (Ineris), Mustafa Aydin (EEA)