Einschränkung von Mikroplastik-Nutzung in der EU?
Members of the European Parliament have sent their strongest message yet to the European Commission to address the issue of plastic microbeads in personal care products.
Almost half of the entire European Parliament, signed the written declaration calling for the reduction of microplastic pollution, and for the Commission to take action on one particular source: personal care products, such as facial scrubs and shower gels.
The United States Federal government has initiated a national ban after a number of large states prohibited them due to their ecological effects. In Europe several member states are considering their own ban, however so far there is little sign that the EU is willing to follow suit.
This is not the first time the democratically elected Members of the European Parliament have requested that microbeads be eliminated – in 2013 the Parliament asked for a phase-out of micro plastics as part of the report on the European strategy on plastic waste in the environment. In the December 2014 meeting of the European Environment Council the Belgian, Dutch, Austrian and Swedish Governments also called for a ban on these products. An EU ban, combined with the new US legislation, would provide significant impetus for manufacturers to remove them from products globally.
Seas At Risk member organisations have been instrumental in generating support for this latest effort, activating their national memberships to call on MEPs to support this important fight against marine pollution. Seas At Risk plans to continue this fight until this wasteful and destructive practice ends.