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A group of European industry associations has formulated an agreement to address the harmful effects of releasing microplastics into oceans and waterways. The agreement’s aim is to prevent harm to the environment associated with microplastics released from synthetic textile washing—an issue potentially affecting billions of people around the globe.
An article in Textile World reports that the European Commission has endorsed the agreement signed by The European Textile and Apparel Confederation (EURATEX), the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (A.I.S.E.), the European Outdoor Group (EOG), the European Man-Made Fibres Association (CIRFS) and the Federation of European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI).
The agreement includes coordination across industries and support for stakeholders via a set of what the group considers economically feasible measures. Goals of the agreement include defining common measurement methods; sharing knowledge across industry sectors and organizations; and performing industrial research to find workable options for abating microplastic release.
By the end of 2018, the group expects to present to the European Commission a proposal on methods to identify and quantify sources of microplastic pollution with the understanding that greater knowledge and collaboration lead to more effective solutions.