Home / Environment / EU Enacts Strict Rules to Curb Plastic Pellet Pollution Across Europe
EU Enacts Strict Rules to Curb Plastic Pellet Pollution Across Europe
23 Oct
Summary
- EU Parliament adopts new rules to hold transport firms responsible for plastic pellet spills
- Up to 180,000 tonnes of plastic pellets dispersed into nature across EU each year
- Firms must report and clean up pellet leaks, provide spill estimates within 30 days
On October 23, 2025, the European Parliament took decisive action to address the growing problem of plastic pellet pollution across the continent. The new rules, approved without a vote, aim to hold handling and transport firms responsible for the widespread dispersal of these lentil-sized plastic pellets, known as nurdles, into the environment.
According to European Commission data, up to 180,000 tonnes of pellets per year - the equivalent of 20 truckloads daily - are currently being released into nature across the 27-nation bloc due to mishandling. The new legislation will require transport companies to act quickly to report and contain any pellet leaks, as well as provide an estimate of the amount of microplastics spilled within 30 days.
"These rules mean they can no longer say, 'It wasn't me,'" said the socialist lawmaker César Luena, who shepherded the legislation through the parliament. "We are holding them responsible - it is up to them to alert the authorities."
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The new regulations will apply to all companies transporting more than 5 tonnes of microplastics per year within the EU, whether or not the firms are European. Land freight companies will have two years to comply, with three years for maritime freight, which faces specific new obligations despite a push from some EU countries for it to be excluded.
