Geography professor delivers impactful Westminster talk on microplastics
Jamie Woodward, Professor of Physical Geography at The University of Manchester, recently addressed key stakeholders at Westminster to speak about the impact of microplastic pollution on our environment.
The was founded in 2020 by Chairman Alberto Costa MP, aiming to raise awareness of the effects of microplastics on the environment. Together with scientists, industry representatives, NGOs, and policymakers, the group seeks to understand how microplastics are entering the environment and advocate for evidence-based policy recommendations to prevent harmful impacts on river and marine environments, as well as on human health.
The APPG on Microplastics published their first report in September 2021, featuring work on microplastics in rivers by researchers in the Department of Geography (School of Environment, Education and Development) at the University of Manchester.
In June, the group held the Microplastic Pollution in Sewage and Sludge: Scale, Impact, and Solutions roundtable event, which took place in Westminster and brought together key stakeholders from environmental groups, universities and industry. The roundtable sought to examine the environmental and health implications of microplastic pollution through wastewater and sludge specifically, exploring current and emerging solutions, and considering how government, regulators, and industry can work together to address the issue.
The event opened with an introductory speech from Alberto Costa MP, before Professor Jamie Woodward gave a presentation on the microplastic pollution of riverbeds from wastewater discharges and biosolids. Jamie鈥檚 presentation on some of the key findings of the Manchester group was followed by the roundtable discussion, which addressed a series of questions.
Jamie is committed to driving meaningful change in the area of microplastics and was one of the earliest academics to raise awareness about the issue of widespread discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers and waterways. Last year, he was named one of the UK鈥檚 top environmental professionals in The ENDS Report Power List due to his impact shaping the science on environmental issues.
The recent meeting at Westminster was an important opportunity to assess progress since the first APPG report and to explore new opportunities to influence policy. There were important discussions about how to reduce the production of microplastics at source and how to limit their entry into river and marine environments. A key challenge is to raise awareness within Parliament of the environmental impacts of microplastics and to make the case for policy changes that will have a real impact.