After years of discussion, the EC has adopted the recommendations of the European Chemicals Agency RAC to ban the use of microplastics, including crumb rubber in all its guises (well almost all).

In case anyone is in any doubt as to the seriousness of this coming ban on crumb rubber (microplastics below 5mm), this includes all crumb rubber used in artificial sports fields, possibly all crumb rubber used in sports and play surfaces in the EU. (and by implication this will also hit the UK, and possibly would-be EU member states such as Turkey). The document is in draft form amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.

Moreover, there has been an unofficial policy in the USA that the Environmental protection Agency will monitor the actions of the European Union in dealing with crumb rubber, and this may also add impetus to the anti-crumb rubber campaign in the USA.

See - Annex XV Reporting Format 040615 - ECHA