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The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) has adopted its opinion on a landmark restriction proposal, which would ban microplastics in products such as cosmetics, detergents, fertilisers and could lead to a ban of its use as soft infill on artificial turf sports pitches. It would prevent the release of 500 000 tonnes of microplastics into the environment over 20 years. The adoption of SEAC’s opinion follows an earlier opinion by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) in June 2020. Both committees concluded that an EU-wide restriction under the EU’s chemicals legislation REACH is the most appropriate means to address the risks of billions of small, solid plastic particles polluting our environment. SEAC also concluded on the expected benefits and costs to society of the proposal.

In Episode 50, the Tyre Recycling Podcast brings an enlightening interview with Federico Dossena, the Managing Director of Ecopneus. The focus in this episode revolves around the potential ban on microplastics and its implications for the Italian market. Join the speakers as they delve into a thought-provoking discussion on the far-reaching consequences of such a ban, exploring the challenges and opportunities it presents to tyre recycling and sustainable practices.

Recycling companies warn that proposed EU regulations could result in the export of millions of tires for disposal or incineration. The European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) charged that the European Commission's draft legislation, which would essentially ban the addition of rubber granules made from recycled tyres to AstroTurf sport fields, was in direct opposition to the Commission's own circular economy agenda.

The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) calls upon the Commission to strengthen its commitment to the Circular Economy. The news was originally published by the Recycling Magazine; please see the full article here. With the release of ECHA´s opinions on infill materials, now it is up to the Commission to take a decision on what measures to follow as regards this application.

In August 2020, the Portuguese Technical Commission CT-181 “Produtos reciclados de pneus” (Recycled Products from Tires) sent its official response to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) with regard to ECHA’s proposed restrictions for the use of crumb rubber in synthetic turf sports fields. Earlier in 2019 and 2020, ECHA proposed an outright ban on crumb rubber use where the particle size was <5mm or a thread length was <15mm. This recommendation to the European Commission was to include a six-year adoption period from 2021.

Every year, approximately 150 million tires are processed for recycling in Europe. This rubber from recycled tires has several useful applications, including being a crucial component of the artificial turf used in playgrounds, football fields, and road construction. The European Recycling Industries Federation (EuRIC), the Spanish Federation for Recovery and Recycling (FER), and the Collective Management System for End-of-Life Tyres in Spain (SIGNUS) have all issued statements warning of the significant consequences of the European Commission's proposal to ban the use of rubber crumb, a byproduct of tyres that have reached the end of their useful lives, on artificial turf fields without taking into account alternative, equally effective policies with less negative environmental effects.

Even though earlier media reports stated that the EU was about to introduce a legislation prohibiting the use of artificial turf on playing surfaces, The European Commission stated that the information was misleading. The authoritative body added that it was only focusing its work on health risks posed by some microplastics and looking into developing its sustainable substitutes.

A subsidiary of the prominent automotive manufacturer Audi – The Audi Environmental Foundation – has started working with Technical University of Berlin to filter our tire wear particles containing microplastics and other substances which, reportedly, harm the environment. More information about tire wear particles and how microplastics harms the environment can be found here. In its press release, Audi writes: “The Audi Environmental Foundation is involved in several projects to protect bodies of water. In the URBANFILTER project, Audi is developing optimized sediment filters for urban runoff in collaboration with the Technical University of Berlin. They trap microplastics in tire wear and other pollutant particles before they are flushed into sewers and waterways along with rainwater. A modular system consisting of nine different filter modules ensures that they achieve the best filtration results across a wide range of road and traffic conditions. Intelligently connecting data from various sources ensures that the filters are serviced and cleaned at the right time.”

The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) gathered more than 100 participants, from policymakers, recyclers and NGOs in Brussels on 18 April 2023 for its first conference dedicated to tire recycling. According to EuRIC’s press release, many speakers called for immediate actions. Poul Steen Rasmussen, President of EuRIC Mechanical Tire Recycling (MTR) and Group CEO of Genan, stressed in his opening remarks: “Tire recycling ticks many boxes, it saves critical resources that Europe would otherwise import, thus contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy. It reduces the carbon and energy footprint and supports the EU’s ambition to carbon-neutrality. Yet, EU policy should do more to support tire recycling. To achieve the ambitious goals, set out in the Green Deal, it is essential that stakeholders from the entire tire value chain work closely together to solve sustainable problems and increase the use of recycled materials from tires in many different applications, including new tires!”.