Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made (a) of the risks to human health and wildlife posed by microplastics and (b) the extent to which artificial grass and pitches contribute to the level of microplastics entering surface water and rivers.

Defra carried out a research project on intentionally added microplastics and published an Option Appraisal on 12 May 2025. This project assessed the impacts of intentionally added microplastics emissions, the risks they pose both to human health and the environment, and included a socio-economic assessment of different policy options, including restricting primary microplastics in line with the EU.

Defra welcomed the findings of the report, which provides important analysis of the UK-specific emissions of, and policy options for, intentionally added microplastics, and which recognised artificial grass sports pitches as an important source.