OpenLobby.EU
Explore

Plastic Soup Foundation

Our mission Stop the plastic pollution as soon as possible! If we do not achieve this, we are leaving future generations with a terrible plastic plague. We are a ‘single issue’ environmental organization that is concerned with one thing: stopping plastic pollution at its source. As part of this mission, we call out the industry and government where they fall short. We also put a special focus on the relationship between plastics and human health. Our recent work in this field includes campaigns on microplastics and the health effects of plastic waste, and especially our Plastic Health Summit. Finally, education underlies everything we do, as we believe that children are the future. We, humans, are the source of plastic pollution; the plastic soup starts on our very own doorstep. But together we can do much more to stop plastic waste than we think!

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Dario Tamburrano (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Jun 2025 · Microplastiche ed eventi futuri

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Jun 2025 · Plastic pollution

Meeting with Martin Hojsík (Member of the European Parliament)

2 May 2023 · Plastic Health Summit 2023

Meeting with Anja Hazekamp (Member of the European Parliament)

2 May 2023 · PLastic Health SUmmit 2023

Meeting with Anja Hazekamp (Member of the European Parliament)

2 Apr 2023 · Event Pastic Health Summit 2023

Meeting with Helmut Geuking (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Nov 2022 · Plastic in Health

Meeting with Anja Hazekamp (Member of the European Parliament)

17 Nov 2022 · plastics

Meeting with Margrete Auken (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Nov 2022 · Adverse health impacts of plastics

Meeting with Martin Hojsík (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Nov 2022 · Plastic pollution and human health impacts

Meeting with Anja Hazekamp (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Oct 2022 · microplastics in textiles

Response to Measures to reduce microplastic pollution

18 Jan 2022

Plastic Soup Foundation welcomes this initiative. It is of the utmost importance that potential human health risks due to environmental exposure to nano- and microplastics will be prevented. We are gravely concerned since they are pervasive, chronic, persistent, transboundary pollutants and once they end up into the environment, it’s impossible to clean them up. For these reasons, the EU must give full priority to the prevention and precautionary principles. Legally binding measures are indispensable as voluntary approaches are evidently insufficient. Furthermore, prevention and upstream measures should be given priority over downstream mitigation measures. It is important that the microplastics definition will be harmonised with the REACH restriction and that it covers no lower size limit and includes biodegradable, water-soluble, and liquid polymers (going beyond the limited ECHA definition for unintentionally added microplastics). The exception for human made polymers to register under REACH should be lifted. Further general recommendations: - Cover ALL different sources of microplastics, including agricultural sources (mulch, Controlled Released Fertilizers), paints, geotextiles - Commit to source specific reduction targets - Address the toxicity of microplastics’ additives which bear potential risks for human health and the environment - Consider the degradation products of microplastics (ability to generate nanoparticles and degradation chemicals, leachates) - The third goal (see section A) should be to mandate the monitoring of microplastic pollution for all sources rather than agreeing on a measuring method - Ban the use of plastic granules, flakes and pellets in the open environment (playgrounds, sport pitches) - Recognise negative externalities in the roadmap, including costs related to air quality, environment/marine pollution and public health (e.g. microplastics as vectors for pathogens, as a risk for food security, as a risk to public health, as a threat to planetary boundaries) Find attached a fact sheet on scientific research about potential adverse effects of microplastic fibres on human health. The research is very alarming and therefore we recommend far-reaching policy measures for synthetic textiles: - Mandatory minimum Ecodesign requirements should be set at EU level: maximum thresholds on microplastic release need to be set and microplastic release needs to be limited throughout the whole life cycle of textiles. - Set an EU-wide binding quantitative target for material use and consumption footprint reduction with specific objectives for textile products - To prevent release of microplastics during production and use, selection of the best performing fabrics and low impact manufacturing techniques during production should be mandatory - Mandate industrial pre-washing of new textiles and garments, making use of filters to capture microplastics released during the manufacturing process (incl. cutting, printing etc.) and ensuring responsible disposal of the microplastics - Reduce microplastic emissions during industrial wet treatment, and industrial and consumer washing and drying through better design and the use of filters - Include microplastic shedding in the PEF methodology - There should be a warning label about the environmental and toxic impact of microplastics to inform consumers - Include all type of textile products, including household textiles Pellets (or nurdles): A regulatory system needs to be in place that requires the whole supply chain to adhere to best practice measures to stop pellet losses. A mandatory regulatory supply chain approach is needed, incorporating best practice standards, certification and external auditing and reporting. Find in the attachment our full response, including a fact sheet on scientific research about potential adverse effects of microplastic fibres on human health.
Read full response

Response to EU Chemicals Strategy for sustainability - Revision of the Cosmetic Products Regulation

1 Nov 2021

Plastic Soup Foundation welcomes the proposed Roadmap and supports the Commission’s ambitions for a toxic-free environment leading to zero pollution. A revision of the Cosmetic Products Regulation is needed to align with the aims and ambitions of the Chemical Strategy, and to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment against hazardous chemicals in cosmetics and encourage the development of safe alternatives. In our view, the Roadmap covers the necessary issues to be revised to do so. Please see the file attached below for our input.
Read full response

Response to Policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics

27 Oct 2021

The Plastic Soup Foundation supports the view of the problem set out in the Roadmap and welcomes the precautionary approach proposed herein. We agree with the Roadmap that there is widespread confusion about the different concepts, such as biodegradable plastics. Vague terms or claims suggesting the absence of plastic should be prevented at all times. We recommend restricting the use of the term ‘biodegradable’ on products and packaging, following French legislation. The proposed policy framework is a great opportunity to eliminate greenwashing practices of bio-based plastics by defining a clear terminology and label, and to prevent creative accounting of bio-based content. We want to stress that voluntary standards on biobased and biodegradables are not sufficient, and welcome the European Commission to create a new stricter standard. This standard should be based on a set of clear requirements that go beyond the current ones. However, the new standard should take into account the different applications and environmental fate of the materials, e.g. biodegradable single-use plastics (marine) versus biodegradable mulch (terrestrial soil). There are many different (environmental) circumstances that have an impact on the microbial activity and hence biodegradation that need to be accounted for. Furthermore, it is of utmost importance that the policy framework on biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics is fully consistent with the waste hierarchy set in EU law. Prevention and reuse solutions should always be given priority and biodegradable and compostable plastics should only be allowed for very few selected applications for which prevention and reuse is not possible. Furthermore, the precautionary principle should be applied to these applications. Compostable plastics should thus only be considered for very specific and limited applications and under a number of conditions such as the absence of reuse alternatives, the presence of the right infrastructure to ensure separate collection, etc. Biobased plastics should not be used as a substitute for fossil-based plastics in common single-use applications, because they cannot be considered as inherently circular and sustainable. It is very important that both the use and end-of-life phases of plastic products should be addressed, and therefore the framework should look beyond sourcing of feedstock, by introducing minimum ecodesign and circularity requirements to address impacts associated with plastic pollution and phase-out single-use and toxic substances. Products should not be labeled as ‘Home compostability’. This can be misleading consumers to think that these products may as well degrade in the open environment. Clear and uniform labelling of industrial compostability in Europe should therefore be developed. However, it should be implemented once the industrial composting technology is widely available and the compostability of each item is verified. Furthermore, the role of home compostability raises serious concerns and we recommend focusing on industrial compostability. Overall, at all times waste should be prevented from ending up in the environment and the priority should be given to an overall reduction of plastic production. Single-use compostable or biodegradable plastics should not be considered a desirable alternative to the conventional single-use plastics and biodegradability and compostability properties should not be brought forward as valid reasons to grant exemptions from much needed measures to reduce waste, single-use products, and overall impacts of plastic.
Read full response

Meeting with Frans Timmermans (First Vice-President)

18 Dec 2018 · Fighting plastics pollution