One year after five European industry associations announced the joint action and 3 common objectives (define a test method, share knowledge and support industrial research), a community of researchers and scientists has emerged and has launched collaborations to tackle the release of Microplastics from washing of synthetic textiles.
The researchers of leading institutes from Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States have met twice in Brussels over 2018, in April and October 2018 to present progress of their own research in understanding causes and features of the release of Microplastics.
The physical meetings and follow up discussions have been instrumental to assess results, learn from peers as well as to pave the way for a single harmonized test method whose core features have now been defined.
The CIA 5 industry associations AISE, CIRFS, EOG, EURATEX and FESI express great satisfaction for the collaboration set up within the research community and renew their commitment to purse the CIA goals in 2019.