Fifteen organisations, including Seas At Risk, signed a letter to the European Commission, expressing their concern about the lack of proposed measures for microplastic pollution in textiles in the Preliminary Study published by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in December 2025.
Across the globe, over 200,00 tonnes of microplastics from synthetic textiles are estimates to enter the marine environment each year. Textiles are the fourth largest source of microplastic pollution within the European Union and the Commission has set the objective to reduce microplastic pollution by 30% by 2030.
Without strong policy options in the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) delegated act for apparel, the EU risks missing a crucial opportunity to tackle microplastics at its source. The impact assessment must therefore evaluate concrete options that accelerate the uptake of lower-pollution fabrics and favour fabrics that minimise shedding.
Posted on: 1 June 2026
