Emerging Issues

Vehicle Tyre particles in the environment - Foresight Brief No. 034 September 2024

25 September 2024
The thirty-fourth edition of UNEP’s Foresight Briefs looks at the negative effects of tyre abrasion particles and how they can be regulated.

Tyre-wear particles are one of the most abundant types of primary microplastics discharged into the environment. During their degradation in the environment, various tyre components are released, including some chemicals with harmful effects to organisms. There are various prevention and mitigation methods that can alleviate the problems, but effectively designed and enforced policies are needed to support these strategies.