The California Ocean Protection Council (COPC), which coordinates California’s ocean-related policies, voted unanimously to approve a statewide strategy to reduce microplastic pollution. The strategy includes two “tracks.” The “solutions” track outlines 22 “immediate, ‘no regrets’ actions and multi-benefit solutions to reduce and manage microplastic pollution.” The second track focuses on science and outlines a “13-point comprehensive research strategy to enhance the scientific understanding of microplastics in California and inform future action.” The strategy is meant to guide Californian microplastics policy for the next four years, but it is now up to state agencies and the legislature to turn the recommendation into actions.
By focusing on pollution prevention, pathway intervention, and education, the solution track could have immediate effects on the amount of microplastics escaping into California’s waterways even while research is still ongoing. Food packaging is one of the sources of microplastics highlighted for investigation and policy action including policy to “bring alternative materials and products to scale.” Specific packaging-related recommendations include prohibiting the sale of expanded polystyrene, as well as enacting comprehensive statewide plastic source reduction, reuse, and refill goals by 2023. Some actions included in the report are already underway, such as obligating food sales on state contracts to use reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging (FPF reported).
The research track is subdivided into monitoring, risk assessment, source prioritization, and evaluating new solutions. The immediate actions in the first track are based on currently known and well-researched sources of microplastics like food packaging, textiles, and tires. This second track is meant to evaluate the extent of pollution in California’s waterways, the sources of microplastics and the pathways via which they enter the waterways, as well as how to capture them most effectively. Additionally, California will undertake more comprehensive research on microplastics’ effects on human and environmental health. Sources that are understudied according to the COPC include agricultural runoff and air deposition. The COPC wants to immediately develop a standardized statewide microplastics monitoring plan, and based on the initial findings, tailor future interventions.
On March 2, 2022, the German government and Frauenhofer, a research institute, published a report reviewing concerns and sources of microplastics based on workshops held in Germany over the last few years. Similar to California’s action plan, the German report highlights possible governmental actions to reduce microplastic pollution. While this report does not include a particular focus on food packaging, it does include discussion of risks from chemicals leaching from plastics into the sea.
In June 2020, the European Commission launched five large-scale research projects to better understand the effects of micro- and nanoplastics on human health, with the Food Packaging Forum partnering of one of the projects, AURORA (FPF reported). The Commission is currently consulting on an initiative to reduce the release of microplastics into the environment specifically focusing on expanding research on risks from microplastics contamination in food and water. The consultation is open until May 17, 2022
References
California Ocean Protection Council (February 2022). “Statewide Microplastics Strategy.” State of California (pdf)
California Ocean Protection Council (February 2022). “California Takes Decisive Action to Reduce Microplastics Pollution: State Adopts a First-in-Nation Approach to Protecting Ocean and Human Health.” State of California
Bertling, J. et al. (March 2022). “Release of microplastics into the marine environment – State of knowledge and options for action.” Frauenhofer (pdf)
Read more
Martin Wisckol (February 23, 2022). “State council approves strategy to reduce microplastics flowing into sea.” The Orange County Register
European Commission (March 2022). “Microplastics pollution – measures to reduce its impact on the environment.”
