UK urged to act on microplastics or risk falling behind

The UK government must urgently develop a national strategy to combat microplastic pollution or risk falling behind the EU and US, according to a new policy brief presented to MPs yesterday (6 May 2025) by the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre.

Compiled in collaboration with experts from seven leading UK universities, the report outlines serious regulatory gaps and calls for a coordinated national roadmap with clear targets and timelines.

The scientists warn that failure to act now could expose ecosystems, the economy and public health to escalating risks – including through contamination of the UK’s food supply.

Dr Antaya March, Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre said:

Microplastic pollution represents a complex, transboundary policy challenge with implications for environmental health, public well-being, and long-term economic resilience. Its diffuse sources and persistence across ecosystems call for a coordinated and forward-looking response.”

The brief suggests that whilst the UK has referenced microplastics in recent government strategies, such as the Plan for Water and the Environmental Improvement Plan, none have included specific reduction targets. The only binding regulation to date remains the 2017 microbead ban in cosmetics, which addresses less than 5 percent of environmental microplastic sources.

In contrast, the EU and US have begun setting enforceable limits on microplastics in water and industrial processes. New EU rules which came into force in January 2025 require advanced micro-pollutant removal, including microplastics, in urban wastewater treatment plants, while the US Environmental Protection Agency is tightening standards for plastics discharged from industrial facilities.

The microplastics threat

Food systems are already under threat from microplastics. These tiny plastic particles, often smaller than a grain of rice, have become pervasive in our environment, entering food chains through contaminated soil, water, and food packaging. Microplastics can also be ingested by marine life, animals and even crops, making their way up the food chain to humans.

The risk to food supply chains comes from two main directions: firstly, microplastics are extremely stable chemical compounds that persist and accumulate in the environment, ultimately ending up in the food we consume. Secondly, they can directly contaminate food during production, packaging and consumption. Common food packaging such as paper-based containers and single-use water bottles can release microplastic particles into the food chain.

Microplastics are far from harmless; they contain at least 4,000 chemicals of concern, including endocrine disruptors and carcinogens, which can leach into food and water. As they degrade into smaller particles, they become increasingly harder to remove, heightening risks to human and environmental health.

The scale of the problem is alarming: an estimated 40 million tonnes of microplastics enter the environment each year, with projections indicating this could double by 2040 without swift and decisive action.

Despite these growing risks, the UK has yet to implement clear targets to reduce microplastic pollution, particularly in agriculture, food packaging and water sources – areas that are critical to both food safety and trade.

Professor Fay Couceiro of the Microplastics Research Group at the University of Portsmouth’s Revolution Plastics Institute warned:

Microplastic pollution is an escalating threat with potentially irreversible consequences. Without decisive action, the UK’s environment and global leadership will be compromised, with potential impacts to public health. Implementing a robust, forward-looking microplastic policy framework is urgent and essential to protect us, our environment and the economy.”

Recommendation of a coherent policy framework

The brief recommends a new policy framework covering both primary and secondary microplastics, including design standards to reduce plastic shedding from textiles, packaging and transport. It highlights agriculture as a priority area, where sewage sludge and plastic mulch use are contributing to soil contamination – posing threats to plant health, food yields and long-term soil quality.

Other recommendations include:

• Targets to reduce microplastics at source, such as by simplifying product design and enhancing traceability across plastic supply chains.
• Evidence-led regulation, including funding for research to establish safe microplastic and PFAS exposure thresholds.
• Sector-specific strategies for high-emission industries such as food packaging, textiles and paint.
• Alignment with international frameworks to future-proof UK legislation.

Dr March added:

We need a clear signal of commitment through a coherent policy framework. This would position the UK to reduce harm, drive innovation across sectors, and demonstrate leadership in the global response to microplastic pollution.”