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My Lords, aside from the commencement date and minor drafting changes, the Bill I am bringing forward to your Lordships’ House today is identical to the Bills of the same name introduced in the other place by my honourable friend Alberto Costa in previous Sessions—it just goes to show I do not really have an original thought in my head. I thought that the Bill was well worth presenting again, as previously I think it had been introduced under the 10-minute rule, which means that it did not have a Second Reading.
For many years, we have washed our clothes of man-made fibres happily, in blissful ignorance of what was released into our water and our environment. However, we now know that our clothes are made of millions of tiny fibres, the majority of which are plastic. These small plastic fragments, measuring 5 millimetres or smaller, are called microplastic fibres, and they are shed from synthetic clothes when produced, washed and worn. Globally, more than 840 million domestic washing machines are used; with every wash, these microfibres are shed and released into the water. They then make their way into the environment, with many ending up in the ocean and on our beaches. Research has estimated that between 700,000 and 7 million microfibres are released with every wash.
Due to their size, microplastic fibres are too small to be caught by standard washing machine filters and therefore end up in the sewerage system, where they are either removed during the sewage treatment process or, more worryingly, released into watercourses and, potentially, the sea. Researchers found that up to 650 million microplastic particles entered one wastewater treatment plant in Wales every day, with all of these ending up in sewage sludge. However, even the microplastics that are removed during the treatment process can still end up in the ocean. They are caught in the sewage sludge, which is usually used as a fertiliser on agricultural land, meaning the microplastics are released into the soil. Once in the terrestrial environment, they, too, can make their way into our seas.
Microplastics spread into the air, soil, ice and water and have been found in a range of ecosystems, from the deep sea to the summit of Mount Everest. Plants and animals may absorb, inhale or ingest microplastics, which can then be transferred through the food chain. Microplastics can cause chemical harms to living things, such as through the leaching of toxic additives, and physical harms, such as causing internal blockages and abrasions. Emerging evidence suggests that microplastics may be associated with broader ecological impacts and, indeed, human health issues, such as respiratory disorders, neurological symptoms and gastrointestinal issues.
The advent of technological solutions, in particular the fitting of filters within washing machines, can stop microfibres entering our wastewater and, ultimately, the ocean. Of the estimated 12.2 million tonnes of plastic entering the ocean globally every year, just under 1 million tonnes are primarily microplastics. The Bill in front of the House today would go some way to rectify the situation. I acknowledge that it is far from being a silver bullet, but does that mean that we should not take measures to do what we can to radically reduce the number of these microplastics entering our environment?
Clause 1 of the Bill provides the Secretary of State with the power to introduce regulations that would require manufacturers to fit microplastic filters to all new domestic and commercial washing machines in England. These regulations could also create associated offences punishable by fines. This would be done with statutory instruments made under the affirmative procedure, meaning that both Houses of Parliament would have to approve them before they became law. Requirements on manufacturers would need to be in place by 1 January 2030, and filters would be required to catch typically at least 90% of the microplastics measured by mass.
Clause 2 would confer a duty upon the Secretary of State to promote the benefits of microplastic filters and raise awareness of the consequences of microfibres shed from clothing. This duty would extend to schools and other educational settings, and the Bill would also allow the Secretary of State to publish guidance to public bodies related to these duties.
Clause 3 would provide that the Bill would come into force on the day it was passed and extend to England and Wales, though the Bill would apply only in England.
I can well imagine some of the objections to the Bill, which I may be hearing a little bit later. Some will say that the cost of fitting such filters would naturally increase the price of a washing machine, and I am sure it would—but I would argue that the price of filters would come down with increased production, and this is literally a small price to pay for the end result. Improvements in textile manufacture will also be very important in resolving this issue.