Keep Fibers Zipped - New CCB report and campaign on the reduction of microplastic pollution from textile

CCB • June 26, 2023

26 June 2023 - Everyone knows about the microplastic pollution, but how to tackle it? Is it possible in a plastic-dependent world to reduce the separation of synthetic microfibres? We decided to answer this question and collected the available solutions in a new report: Keep fibers zipped. Holistic approach to reduction of microfiber pollution from textile. Report and case study of available solutions in the Baltic Sea region and worldwide


The textile sector is one of the causes responsible for plastic pollution. The washing of synthetic textiles is responsible for 35% of global emissions of primary microplastics into the ocean. The microplastics problem is widespread and seriously affects human health and the environment.


The separability of particles from textiles and their release into the environment is influenced by various indicators and factors: the quality and technology of fabric production, the washing machines, the practice of wearing and washing clothes, consumer choices and habits, the presence and the internal structure of sewage treatment plants in the area. There are already available methods and solutions to prevent and reduce this microplastic contamination.


Our new report presents 19 working examples and implemented solutions, as well as recommendations for various stakeholders throughout the textile lifecycle. In the landing page

https://www.ccb.se/keep-fibers-zipped we also made available the Summary Report (EN, BY, DE, LT, RU) and separate chapters with solutions for people, business, cities and countries.


The work may contribute to the implementation of the updated HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan, as well as it will be useful to everyone working on tackling microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea region.

The social media campaign #KeepFibersZipped will be running from 26 June to 10 July 2023.

You can follow and support on CCB Facebook and Instagram pages:


CCB is looking for a Network Officer to join our team at the CCB International Secretariat

By CCB • April 9, 2025
Coalition Clean Baltic – CCB is a politically independent network, uniting 27 environmental non-profit organizations, as well as partners and experts from 11 countries surrounding the Baltic Sea. The main goal of CCB is to promote the protection and improvement of the environment and natural resources of the Baltic Sea region by encouraging new and constructive approaches and engaging people to become part of the solution instead of part of the problem. CCB Secretariat is based in Uppsala, Sweden.

Attacks on NGOs: 570+ Organisations Join Forces to Defend Civil Society

By CCB • April 7, 2025
European civil society organisations (CSOs) are currently facing an attack coming from certain Members of the European Parliament. Spearheaded by some MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) and by far-right groups, this attack resorts to misleading arguments to fabricate a scandal. This portrayal has been amplified through the media, with notable exceptions of articles that attempted to clarify this misleading narrative. European CSOs are crucial to ensure the voices of citizens from different parts of Europe are heard in the EU institutions. Attacks against civil society are unfortunately not new and are exacerbated by this harmful idea. Furthermore, for-profit corporate lobbying is through the roof when compared to non-profit advocacy. In 2024, the 50 corporations with the largest lobbying budgets collectively spent nearly €200 million on lobbying the EU alone (66% more than in 2015). Comparing this to the funding environmental NGOs receive under the LIFE programme - €15.6 million annually of a €700 million yearly budget - truly shows the weakness of this ‘scandal’. This is why over 570 civil society organisations from 40 countries, including all EU Member States, have joined forces to call on those in power to act now and ensure that civil society is adequately funded and enabled to share our crucial perspectives . In this statement, we address: The source of this false narrative; Inaccurate claims made about how CSOs obtain and use funding; Why it’s paramount that CSOs receive sufficient funding; The need for civil dialogue to enable CSOs participation. Democracy is about the right of citizens to be collectively heard for building an inclusive society and a shared European future; properly funded independent CSOs are a crucial tool for that. We call on decision-makers to ensure civil society organisations can thrive and play their role in interacting with policy-makers in order to have a more fully informed decision-making process. Read the full statement here . -END Civil Society Europe (CSE) is the coordination of civil society organisations at EU level. Through its membership, CSE unites EU-level membership-based organisations that reach out to millions of people active in or supported by not-for-profits and civil society organisations across the EU. CSE was created by several civil society organisations as a follow-up to the European Year of Citizens and was established as an international not-for-profit under Belgian law in 2016. Since then, it has become the point of reference for EU institutions on transversal issues concerning civil dialogue and civic space.