Question 17660 — waste

Summary

Ms. Anne-Cécile Violland draws the attention of the Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity and International Negotiations on Climate and Nature to the absence of publication of the implementing decree provided for in Article 79 of Law No. 2020-105 of February 10, 2020 relating to the fight against waste and the circular economy, known as the AGEC law. This article provides that from January 1, 2025, domestic washing machines and new professionals must be equipped with a device intended to limit the release of plastic microfibers from the washing of synthetic textiles. However, the effective entry into force of this obligation remains conditional on the publication of an implementing decree in the Official Journal. To date, this text has still not been published, which delays the implementation of a measure intended to reduce the environmental impact and health of plastic microfibers. It is now widely established that washing clothes is a significant source of microplastic pollution. Around 60% of the textile fibers used in clothing manufacturing worldwide are made from synthetic materials, primarily polyester. Each wash cycle is likely to release several million plastic microfibers which disperse then in the environment and are found today in the air, water and soil. Furthermore, the current wording of the law, which mentions the installation of a “plastic microfiber filter or any other solution internal or external to the machine”, may appear ambiguous. It can in fact be interpreted as favoring a filtration device, even though other technological solutions exist. Of the Microfiber separation systems, based on physical processes allowing these particles to be isolated from washing effluents, are now developed and ready to be tested in real operating conditions, particularly in professional textile washing installations. However, in the absence of the expected implementing decree, the economic and industrial players concerned remain uncertain as to the technical requirements that will be adopted and the methods of compliance. This situation hampers experimentation and the large-scale deployment of technological solutions that are already available. Under these conditions, he asks it to please specify within what time frame the Government intends to publish the implementing decree provided for by law, in order to allow the effective implementation of this provision and to lift the uncertainties which currently hinder the development of solutions intended to reduce pollution by plastic microfibers.

Machine translation from French. The official text remains authoritative.

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