Stakeholder dialogue about microplastics

Participants from more than 40 different organisations, representing universities, research institutes, industry, ministries, and interests groups, came together in Utrecht on 26 November for a dialogue about microplastics.

After a short introduction by MOMENTUM coordinator Juliette Legler and program manager at ZonMw Frank Pierik, it was time for the stakeholders to meet each other and share perspectives on precautionary measures, technological solutions, and the future of microplastics research. The conversations were animated and inspiring, and resulted in new connections and potential for future collaboration. They also fueled the subsequent panel discussions, hosted by Yanti Danoekoesoemo.

In the first panel, Monique Groenewold from Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu, Milan Lobrij from Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport and Bart Koelmans from Wageningen University & Research discussed what it takes to set norms for microplastics, highlighting the challenges involved and the potential of implementing precautionary strategies.

The second panel, consisting of Nienke Vrisekoop from UMC Utrecht, Oscar Van Den Brink from SensingNL, and Martijn Reubzaet from Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat, talked about characterising plastics in a MicroPlastics Index as well as other possible solutions to minimise the potential health impact of microplastics.

Many thanks to all the participants for such a lively and inspiring afternoon! Clearly, there was plenty to talk about and learn from each other, so let’s keep the conversation going. Continued connections between disciplines and stakeholders are key to get a better grip on microplastics.