WASHINGTON (June 12, 2020) – The American Chemistry Council released the following statement regarding a recent paper published in the journal Science about microplastics found in rainwater in 11 protected areas in the western U.S.:
“ACC and its partners around the world are committed to helping people better understand what we know, based on science, about microplastics and their potential effects on human health and the environment. The current scientific literature does not suggest human health is affected from microplastics at current, very low levels of exposure, and in fact, a the World Health Organization recently concluded that there is no evidence to indicate a human health concern from drinking water. ACC is strongly supportive of a risk-based approach to understanding and evaluating potential impacts of microplastics, which is why we helped develop a published risk framework to evaluate microplastics through the International Council of Chemical Associations.
“Although there is more to learn about the sources of microplastic in the environment, one of the best ways to address concerns about microplastic in the environment is to avoid having plastic waste enter the environment in the first place, and the plastics industry is leading global efforts to develop and deploy the innovative technology and solid waste infrastructure solutions to make this happen.
“The chemical industry and business community are actively developing forward looking, ambitious and achievable, goals as well as innovations and solutions through technology, public policy and investments that strengthen our infrastructure, and through initiatives such as the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Additionally, ACC’s Plastics Division has established a goal to reuse, recycle or recover all plastic packaging in the US by 2040 and make all U.S. plastic packaging recyclable or recoverable by 2030.”