The European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission have reached a consensus on a new EU regulation to prevent plastic pellets’ loss into the environment. This regulation is considered a significant step in addressing microplastic pollution, as the accidental release of these small plastic particles during production, handling, and transportation is a major source of environmental contamination, reports the Environment Investigation Agency.
Strong Leadership
EIA Legal and Policy Specialist Amy Youngman commented that the recent agreement signifies strong EU leadership in the global effort to combat microplastic pollution. She emphasized the EU’s recognition of plastic pellets as a major source of microplastic pollution and a significant environmental threat, highlighting binding prevention rules, supply chain obligations, and maritime measures as crucial steps forward.
However, Youngman also cautioned that loopholes, delays, and exemptions risk limiting the regulation’s impact. She stressed the need for decisive action to ensure the law’s effective implementation.
The agreed-upon regulation aims for a “zero pellet loss” objective, prioritizing prevention, followed by spill containment, and lastly, clean-up of spills. It introduces mandatory measures for appropriate packaging, equipment, training, and infrastructure, representing a significant improvement over existing voluntary initiatives. This reflects a growing understanding that proactive spill prevention is essential for effectively reducing microplastic pollution.
Furthermore, the regulation adopts a comprehensive supply chain approach, addressing spills and losses from all actors, including EU and non-EU carriers, across all stages from production to reprocessing.
Long Awaited Step
The inclusion of the maritime sector within the scope of this regulation is a critical and long-awaited step, particularly in light of past shipping incidents involving pellet loss. By legally binding previously voluntary recommendations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the EU is setting a strong precedent for global leadership in addressing plastic pellet pollution at sea.
Despite this significant progress, the final agreement contains exemptions that raise concerns. The majority of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are exempt from independent oversight, even though they constitute the vast majority of the plastics supply chain, accounting for 98% in conversion and 97% in transport and storage.
Instead of employing a risk-based or quantity-based approach, the regulation exempts operators handling less than 1,500 tonnes of pellets per year per installation. This threshold is considered high, potentially excluding facilities handling up to 75 billion pellets annually from independent oversight.
Furthermore, even small companies managing more than 1,500 tonnes per year will benefit from reduced obligations, including a one-time certification to be completed five years after the regulation’s implementation. The lack of regular oversight in this approach undermines the regulation’s fundamental goal of comprehensive, supply chain-wide prevention of pellet loss.
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), a leading member of the Rethink Plastic alliance since 2019, has been actively advocating for a supply chain approach to tackle plastic pellet pollution. Their Ocean campaigners continued to champion mandatory measures, reporting, and transparency throughout 2023.
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Source: Environment Investigation Agency
