The main driver of deforestation and forest degradation is the expansion of agricultural land, which is linked to the production of seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood; and some of their derived products, such as leather or furniture.
Overall, around 145,000 tonnes of microplastics are estimated to be used in the EU each year. And 42,000 tonnes of these microplastics end up in the environment from products intentionally containing them. The largest contribution with up to 16,000 tonnes is made by granules from artificial turf pitches.
There are many directives and regulations that address product compliance. Still it is practically impossible to cover all risks for all consumer products. The solution is a broad-based legislation to fill possible gaps and to complement existing and future legislation.