Page - 251 - in Freshwater Microplastics - Emerging Environmental Contaminants?

GreenPaperonaEuropeanStrategyonPlasticWaste in theEnvironment In2013 theEuropeanCommission released aGreenPaper onaEuropeanStrategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment “to launch a broad reflection on possible responses to the public policy challenges posed by plastic waste,” because these particular challenges are not specifically addressed in the EUwaste legislation at present despite the growing environmental impact of plastic pollution [36, p. 3]. ThisGreenPaper is thefirst systematic approach to (micro)plastics in theenviron- mentatEUlevel. It explicitly refers to theproblemof(micro)plasticsand their fate in theenvironmentand the issueofchemicals inandadsorbed to (micro)plasticsas well as examines several policy options to improve the management of plastic waste in Europe. The Green Paper addresses the following policy options (as presented byClayton, 20162): • Applicationof thewaste hierarchy toplasticwastemanagement • Achievement of targets, plastic recycling, and voluntary initiatives • Targeting consumer behavior • Towardmore sustainable plastics • Durability of plastics andplastic products • Promotion of biodegradable plastics andbio-basedplastics • EUinitiatives dealingwithmarine litter includingplasticwaste • International action Thus, in its Green Paper, the European Commission clearly addressed microplastics as part of thewaste legislation focusingonmitigationmeasures. 2.2.3 ChemicalRegulation:REACH3 Forregulatingchemical substances, theEuropeanREACHregulation[37]hasbeen adopted in 2006.REACHaddresses not only the production and use of chemicals but also their potential impacts on both human health and the environment. According to REACH manufacturers, importers and downstream users have to register their chemicals. Furthermore, they are responsible for their safe use. Selected substances are evaluated frompublic authorities and, if necessary, regu- lated.Substancesofspecialconcernhave togothroughanauthorizationprocedure. As far as (micro)plastics are concerned, theEuropeanREACHRegulation already refers to plastic monomers and additives. The assessment of polymers within REACHisas follows:Becauseof their highmolecularweight, polymermolecules are considered as being of low concern. They are exempted from registration and evaluation, unless the content of (unreacted) monomers exceeds certain limits or they contain certain additives triggering registration and evaluation [38]. 2Presentation byHelen Clayton on the European Conference on plastics in freshwater systems, Federal PressOffice,Berlin/Germany, June21/22, 2016. 3Regulationconcerning theRegistration,Evaluation,AuthorisationandRestrictionofChemicals. FreshwaterMicroplastics:Challenges forRegulation andManagement 251