How are microplastics affecting you?
New parliamentary group enquiry wants to know the true scale of the problem
The Women’s Institute, has launched a comprehensive call for evidence to inform a new report on microplastic pollution in the UK.
The inquiry will provide an authoritative, up-to-date picture of the sources and risks posed by microplastics and set out practical, systemic recommendations for government action.
The WI has taken on the challenge on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Microplastics, working in partnership with the Global Plastics Policy Centre at the University of Portsmouth.
Five years on from the APPG’s first report, research has evolved rapidly, and public concern has continued to grow. Microplastic pollution is now recognised as an urgent and escalating challenge affecting human health, nature, and the wider economy. The Group’s new inquiry aims to capture the latest scientific understanding and policy thinking, ensuring recommendations are grounded in robust evidence-based research.
Announcing the call for evidence, Emma Holland-Lindsay, the APPG on Microplastics Group’s secretariat and National Federation of Women’s Institute Director of Campaigns and Membership said the group wanted to hear from anyone with experience of the issue:
“Every day we hear about new areas of the human body and in nature where microplastic pollution is reaching and hearing increasingly concerning reports of serious health risks. Still, successive governments have only taken incremental steps in addressing this risk to health, economy and nature.
“This inquiry is an opportunity for experts, decision makers, businesses and civil society to help shape the UK’s next steps. We want to hear from anyone with insights on the scale of the problem, the gaps in our knowledge, and the solutions needed to protect people and our planet.”
How to take part
The inquiry is open to contributions from academia, industry, civil society and advocacy groups. Written submissions are invited on issues including major sources of microplastics, impacts on health and the environment, economic and agricultural implications, and proposals for policy or legislative action.
The Group is also seeking views on systemic approaches, such as circular economy models and extended producer responsibility, and how tackling microplastic pollution could be embedded in these more effectively within existing and upcoming UK policy frameworks.
The APPG encourages contributions from all sectors and disciplines. Written submissions should address any of the inquiry’s core questions, specific to the UK, including:
The sources, scale and proportions of key sources of microplastics pollution
Risks to human health
Economic, agricultural and food security impacts
Risks to nature and wildlife
Existing gaps in science and monitoring of microplastics pollution
Ideas for UK legislation or policy to effectively tackle microplastic pollution.
The inquiry will be led by the APPG’s secretariat, the Women’s Institute, in collaboration with the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre, and will be open until 15 February.
For more information on how to submit evidence, please visit: https://www.thewi.org.uk/campaigns/key-and-current-campaigns/end-plastic-soup/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-microplastics/call-for-evidence
How the evidence will be used
The Global Plastics Policy Centre at the University of Portsmouth, will support evidence analysis, policy evaluation, report writing and stakeholder engagement. Dr Antaya March, Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre, Revolution Plastics Institute at the University of Portsmouth, said: “Microplastics are now found in almost every ecosystem on earth, yet there remain critical gaps in monitoring, risk assessment and policy intervention. Current policy to address microplastics is insufficient to address the scale of the problem.
“This call for evidence and policy design analysis that follows is an important step towards closing those gaps. Drawing on the expertise and lived experience of stakeholders across the country, we can help Parliament develop solutions that are both practical and systemic.”
The APPG’s final report will be published in Spring 2026 and will set out developments in microplastic research and policy since 2021, along with a series of evidence-based recommendations to government. The report aims to support the development of cohesive national action, highlighting effective points of intervention, identifying opportunities for legislative change and outlining a clear route towards reducing microplastic pollution at scale.