European Union (EU) lawmakers are looking into developing a stronger law against microplastic pollution, after millions of tiny pellets of microplastic washed up on the coast of Spain’s northwestern Galicia region.
Microscopic plastic pellets are crucial components in producing common items such as water bottles and shopping bags.
However, these pellets pose a significant environmental threat, contributing to the already widespread issue of plastic pollution in water bodies. Cleaning up these tiny pellets is particularly challenging due to their minuscule size.
The European Union is in the process of formulating a tighter law that is aimed at preventing the accidental spill of these pellets, an annual occurrence amounting to 176,000 metric tons, as reported by the European Chemicals Agency.
Joao Albuquerque, the primary negotiator of the new law said that he had proposed to extend spill prevention obligations to the shipping sector.
This initiative comes in the wake of the incident in Galicia, prompting a broader scope for regulatory measures.
“This has become extremely urgent. These dramas are almost always avoidable,” Albuquerque told an EU Parliament committee meeting.
Albuquerque’s proposal aims to broaden the scope of the law to not just pellets but also the plastic flakes, powders, and dust employed in the making of various products.
The Parliament is actively working to finalize its negotiating stance swiftly, providing an opportunity for discussions with EU member countries to conclude the legislative process before the upcoming EU elections in June.
