Microplastics

The reason for this publication is that at the beginning of 2018 the European Commission paid attention to the problem of tyres waste in its report Plastics Strategy. The Commission states that more research is needed to understand where the microplastics come from and how they affect the environment and human health. At European level, research is being carried out into how microplastics that may come from tyres, can be reduced. Europe is also considering setting an EU-wide standard for tyre wear, a common test method and consumer information.

Pollution caused by tyre wear

The article in Politico states that driving a car pollutes the environment not only because of the combustion engine and oil leakage, but also because of tyre wear. It is estimated that in Europe the annual pollution of the environment caused by tyre wear amounts to 500,000 tonnes. To date, investigations into where the pollution ends up have not provided an unambiguous picture.

Wear and Tear of Tyres: A Stealthy Source of Microplastics in the Environment

Kole carried out the research ‘Wear and Tear of Tyres: A Stealthy Source of Microplastics in the Environment’ with Ansje J. Löhr, Frank G.A.J. Van Belleghem and Ad M.J. Ragas from the Science department at the Open University. In this research it is explored how tyre wear contributes to the amount of microplastics in the environment, how it affects the environment and possible effects on people.