Defra’s recently published evidence project report states that artificial sports pitches are the main source of intentionally added microplastic pollution in the UK1.
Artificial sports pitches, especially 3rd generation or ‘3G’ sports pitches, have grown in popularity due to their convenient low maintenance costs and year-round usability compared with grass pitches, but these come at an environmental cost. Made from chemical-laden plastic grass blades and rubber crumb infill , these pitches are a significant source of microplastic pollution. Each year, thousands of tonnes of microplastics are lost during their use (mainly playing football but also other sports), maintenance, and disposal, ultimately ending up in our drains, soils, rivers, and eventually wildlife. These microplastics can also contaminate our indoor environments, being brought into our homes via sporting equipment such as football boots.
The black rubber crumb infill used in artificial sports pitches, which is made from ground-up car tyres, is the largest source of intentionally added microplastic pollution in the EU. The same can now be said for the UK with Defra’s latest report estimating microplastic emissions from pitches to be 16,866 tonnes per year1. In response, the European Commission banned microplastic infills in 20232; we’re calling on the UK Government to commit to the same level of protection.
Microplastics and their chemical tagalongs
It’s not just the infill causing concern. Plastic grass fibres themselves are now recognised as a significant contributor to pollution, with research showing that up to 300 million fibres can be lost from a single pitch each year, eventually washing into rivers and seas3. Even more concerning, these pitches also contain ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)4. Evidence suggests that when PFAS and microplastics are present together, they can produce greater toxic effects in invertebrates than either would on their own5, raising serious environmental and health concerns.
Learning from the EU: A clear path for UK microplastic policy
Other than a restriction on products containing microbeads which came into force in 20186, the UK lacks specific regulation for intentionally added microplastics across a range of products. In contrast, the EU has taken more decisive action through its REACH regulation, which, since October 2023, has prohibited the sale of products that contain, or release intentionally added microplastics2. This restriction has been projected to prevent the release of 500,000 tonnes of microplastics over a 20-year period7. There is no equivalent proposal under UK REACH, however, Fidra welcomes the publication of Defra’s evidence-gathering research which assessed the risks and recommended potential cost-effective regulatory options for reducing emissions of intentionally added microplastics into the UK environment.
Defra’s recommendations
Six management options (RMOs) were identified for assessment within the appraisal1, including:
The first three regulatory options (RMO 1A-C) would restrict intentionally added microplastics at source, by adopting primary legislation the same as the EU, tighter than the EU, or more targeted than the EU. This would offer the most robust protection for public health and the environment. It would also prevent the UK from falling behind the EU in terms of innovating greener alternatives to infill for artificial pitches.
RMO 2 includes enforced containment measures specifically for infill material in sport surfaces, but no restrictions, relying entirely on emission management. This would allow continued use of tyre infill and does not appear to address microplastic pollution associated with the disposal of artificial pitches, or the health and environmental risks. Microplastics from pitches don’t just end up in your bags and sports clothing, they can also escape from the edges of the pitch, down drains, and into local water sources and surrounding soils. They are lost during installation and removal, in handling and refilling of infill, and leaks can continue to happen even after the pitch has been thrown away. The immeasurable pathways in which microplastics can be lost from artificial pitches means containment measures alone are not enough. This option also does not account for other microplastic emission sources such as detergents and maintenance products which are noted to produce nearly as much emissions as artificial pitches (13,666 tonnes per year)1.
Matching or exceeding EU restrictions offers the most robust solution to microplastic pollution in the UK, capturing all contributing industries including artificial pitches.
Fidra Asks
- Fidra support meaningful management options for reducing the loss of intentionally added microplastics to the environment.
- Fidra are calling for a broad restriction on the use of intentionally added microplastics, as seen in the EU. This should include artificial pitches as the most significant source of intentionally added microplastic pollution in the UK.
References
- Defra (2025) Option appraisal for intentionally added microplastics: final report Retrieved online May 14, 2025 from: https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=21802.
- European Commission D-G for IMIE and Sme (2023) Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055 of 25 September 2023 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards synthetic polymer microparticles (Text with EEA relevance) European Union.
- de Haan WP, Quintana R, Vilas C, Cózar A, Canals M, Uviedo O, & Sanchez-Vidal A (2023) The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments Environmental Pollution 334 122094, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122094.
- PEER (2019) Toxic Forever Chemicals Infest Artificial Turf – PEER.org Retrieved online October 24, 2024 from: https://peer.org/toxic-forever-chemicals-infest-artificial-turf/.
- Soltanighias T, Umar A, Abdullahi M, Abdallah MAE, & Orsini L (2024) Combined toxicity of perfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics on the sentinel species Daphnia magna: Implications for freshwater ecosystems Environmental Pollution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125133.
- UK Government (2018) Word-leading microbeads ban takes effect Retrieved online May 13, 2025 from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/world-leading-microbeads-ban-takes-effect.
- CHEMTrust (2023) EU Takes a Stand Against Plastic Pollution by Banning Intentionally Added Microplastics. Retrieved online May 7, 2025 from: https://chemtrust.org/news/eu-microplastics-ban/.