Primary microplastics |
Specific personal care products containing microplastics as exfoliants/abrasives |
Specific medical applications (e.g. dentist tooth polish) |
Drilling fluids for oil and gas exploration |
Industrial abrasives |
Pre-production plastics, production scrap, plastic regranulate: accidental losses, run-off from processing facilities |
Secondary microplastics |
General littering, dumping of plastic waste |
Losses of waste during waste collection, from landfill sites and recycling facilities |
Losses of plastic materials during natural disasters |
Plastic mulching |
Synthetic polymer particles used to improve soil quality and as composting additive |
Abrasion/release of fibres from synthetic textiles |
Release of fibres from hygiene products |
Abrasion from car tyres |
Paints based on synthetic polymers (ship paints, other protective paints, house paint, road paint): abrasion during use and paint removal, spills, illegal dumping |
Abrasion from other plastic materials (e.g. household plastics) |
Plastic items in organic waste |
Plastic coated or laminated paper: losses in paper recycling facilities |
Material lost or discarded from fishing vessels and aquaculture facilities |
Material lost or discarded from merchant ships (including lost cargo), recreational boats, oil and gas platforms |