Microplastics are tiny pollutants often found in cosmetic products that end up in wastewater and eventually on beaches and in the sea. Photo Credit: Alistair Berg/Getty Images
Environment European Union“You Pollute, You Pay,” Says EU to Companies
A new deal within the European Union will force cosmetic and medical companies to pay to clean up micropollutants.
“The deal we reached today is a breakthrough for significantly improved water management and wastewater treatment standards in Europe, especially with new rules on removing micropollutants coming from medicines and personal care products. We have ensured that the impact of this legislation on the affordability of medicines will not be disproportionate,” says Finnish MEP, Nils Torvalds.
Under the “polluter pays principle,” the companies that, in some way or another, release harmful microplastics into our waters will now be expected to pay 80 per cent of the total clean-up cost. Governments will pay the remaining 20 per cent to prevent vital products from becoming too expensive or scarce for consumers. This latest deal – agreed upon by the European Parliament and Council of the EU – is only one of many relatively recent standards to reduce micropollutants from EU waters.
