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Fidra

Fidra is an environmental charity working to reduce plastic waste and chemical pollution in our seas, on our beaches and in the wider environment.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Jutta Paulus (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and SURFRIDER FOUNDATION EUROPE and Environmental Investigation Agency

24 Mar 2025 ยท Webinar: How can the EU lead the way in addressing pellet pollution?

Response to Evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC (UWWTD)

9 Nov 2017

Fidra is a charity based in East Lothian, Scotland. We seek to find ways to engage local concerns over current and emerging environmental issues, and use this to contribute to wider dialogue at national and international levels. We thank the commission for the opportunity to submit feedback regarding the evaluation of this directive. We wish to highlight the relevance of the UWWTD to the environmental pressure of marine litter, which is currently not directly addressed within the directive. Relevant pathways of plastic pollution include: 1) The use of loose plastic biomedia particles in certain water treatment, which can inadvertently be a source of plastic pollution to the aquatic environment. 2) The pervasive problem of sewage-related debris, which include cotton bud sticks, wet-wipes and sanitary products, that are regularly (wrongly) disposed of into sewage systems, and are a major category of litter on beaches across Europe. 3) Microplastics within waste water, their potential to be captured in sewage treatment, and their possible presence in sewage sludge. Water treatment alone cannot solve this issue, and prevention of plastic pollution at source should remain a key priority. However, this environmental pressure should be recognised as the directive is updated. In particular, the use of biomedia for water treatment should be fully assessed, as it reveals that water treatment itself can be a source of microplastic pollution. Waste water treatment should be as effective as possible in capturing plastics from waste water, since this is the final barrier to the environment.
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