Section 132 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (P.L. 116-224) required the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee to complete a report on microfiber pollution that includes: 

1. a definition of microfiber; 
2. an assessment of the sources, prevalence, and causes of microfiber pollution; 
3. a recommendation for a standardized methodology to measure and estimate the prevalence of microfiber pollution; 
4. recommendations for reducing microfiber pollution; and 
5. a plan for how Federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, can lead on opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution during the five-year period beginning on the date of the Act’s enactment. 

Microfiber pollution refers to the tiny strands of plastic and non-plastic fibers that are shed during product life cycles and eventually end up polluting the environment. Microfibers have been detected on every continent and in every major ocean and freshwater environment.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program co-led the development of this report on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee, with support from the consulting firm Materevolve and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

The report provides an overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a plan for federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, to address this problem.