Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee Reports
Report on Microfiber Pollution

This Report on Microfiber Pollution was developed by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee, with support from the consulting firm Materevolve. It is a requirement of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-224) and will provide the United States Congress with an overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path forward for federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, to address this problem.

A public comment period to review the draft Report on Microfiber Pollution was open from September 15 - October 17, 2022. During this time, we invited comments, feedback, and recommendations on the draft report, which includes a definition of microfiber; an assessment of the sources, prevalence, and causes of microfiber pollution; a recommendation for a standardized methodology to measure and estimate the prevalence of microfiber pollution; recommendations for reducing microfiber pollution; and a plan for how Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution. 

Comments received during the public comment period are being reviewed and the Report on Microfiber Pollution is being finalized. Stay tuned for the final report. To view the comments received during the public comment period, check out the report docket on regulations.gov. All comments received are a part of the public record.