ETSA answers the European Commission's microplastic consultation

As many of you are aware, on 30 November of last year the European Commission opened its consultation on the issue of microplastic pollution. This has become an area of priority for the current French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Indeed, many members states including France and Italy have instituted laws on everything from filtering to labeling textile goods in order to curb future microplastic discharge. As microplastics are being discovered in even remote freshwater sources and their adverse health effects are becoming more well-known the public issue salience on the topic has only grown in recent months. The EU's consultation on microplastics, which will close tomorrow, focuses on labelling, standardization, certification and regulatory measures for the main sources of microplastic pollution. This will precede and will serve as a roadmap for a general EU strategy on microplastics which will come about at the end of 2022.

ETSA created a position paper on microplastic pollution from the perspective of the textile services industry in summer of 2021, where ETSA outlined the priorities, strategies goals and concerns of the industry in addressing this dilemma. In late 2021 and early 2022 ETSA secretariat has been working in synergy with its members and its own Environment, Laundry and Technology Working Group in creating an updated version to submit to the European Commission. ETSA has also been in touch with EURATEX in regard to how best approach this issue from a strategic point of view. In our answer to the Commission, we emphasize the need for creating objective, scientific and universal standards in measuring and identifying microplastic waste as well as standardization rules for the disposal of said waste. We also point out that as service providers, textile care services are a link in the chain, not the cause of microplastic emissions.

If you'd like to read the paper in its entirety it is linked at the end of this article. ETSA Secretariat would like to thank its members and the members of ETSA's  Environment, Laundry and Technology working group in particular for all their hard work in deliberating and approving the contents of this paper.

Microplastics, ETSA Answer to EU call for evidence (189.1 KB)