Microplastics: a perspective on the regulatory landscape for the cleaning products industry

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WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS?
Plastics are an essential part of our everyday lives primarily based on their properties of durability and ability to provide protection from the elements. However, these very properties also result in plastics resisting degradation if not properly disposed and lead to accumulation in the environment as pollutants. These larger plastic particles break down over time into smaller particles which are defined broadly as “microplastics”. One such very visible pollutant affecting oceans, coastlines, waterways, and in a way all forms of our water supply is marine microplastic litter. Scientific evidence suggests that the vast majority of microplastics present in this litter in waterways is coming from the break-down of bigger plastic materials and this is appropriately being addressed through impactful actions globally (1). In Europe, the EU Commission has identified this risk to the environment from marine litter as part of the Strategy on Plastics in a Circular Economy (2).