Driving Towards Cleaner Oceans: Addressing the Threat of Car Tyre Emissions
The use of vehicles on wheels as a means of transport has become an integral part of modern life, but this comes at an environmental cost. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly recognized that a major source of river and ocean plastic pollution comes from vehicle tyre wear. Urgent actions are required to address this, as to date, particulate emissions from tyres are not yet fully regulated in the EU. In this policy brief the problem of particle emissions from car tyres is described and recommendations for policymakers are outlined to address this problem.
Supporting environmentally safe biodegradable plastics
Plastic pollution is a major environmental problem that requires urgent action. Biodegradable plastics can help reduce the accumulation of plastic in the environment, when used in specific and relevant applications. However, use of ambiguous terms such as biopolymers and bioplastics needs to be discouraged, and the existing labeling should be improved to enable informed consumer choice. Furthermore, there is a need for a better understanding of environmental biodegradability and development of improved testing methods and certification schemes. This policy brief highlights current challenges regarding biodegradable plastics and provides recommendations for policymakers in order to better develop the legislative framework.