Microplastics are everywhere - from textiles and industry to wastewater treatment plants. How can the Theory of Change accelerate systemic transformation? We show how strategic planning and innovative technology can make water without microplastics possible.

The revision of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive requires large wastewater treatment plants to be retrofitted with a so-called fourth purification stage against micropollutants. The removal of microplastics is not regulated.. One reason: comprehensive monitoring is lacking, although data sets - especially for micropollutants - exist. The problem: no comparability due to a mix of methods or simply too few measuring points. The financing of the necessary treatment plant expansion is also highly controversial. Find out more in the latest blog.

The EU works on standardization of microplastic detection methods, but regulations and control are still inadequate. One thing is clear: wastewater treatment needs innovations and long-term data. This will create economic opportunities through circular economy.

SPIONs and magnetic nanoparticles are being hailed as the solution to microplastics. But "smart rust" could be more dangerous than the original problem. Why nanotechnology is threatening biodiversity and real alternatives are being ignored.

According to current research, filtration and cyclones do not solve the microplastics problem – they merely shift it. Wastewater treatment plants concentrate the particles per kilogram in sludge, which often ends up as fertilizer on fields. New technologies like our Clump & Skim show genuine solution approaches.