Author : Earth Action team
As we close the 2025 cycle of the Plastic Footprint Network (PFN), we mark an important milestone in the evolution of the methodology.
Over the past year, PFN has continued to grow into a more complete, robust, and actionable framework. One that not only enables organizations to measure plastic leakage, but increasingly supports them in understanding impacts and identifying priorities for action.
This moment is both a reflection on what has been achieved, and a transition into the next phase of work as we look ahead to 2026.
Strengthening and expanding the PFN methodology
Throughout the last cycle, PFN has focused on consolidating and expanding its modular methodology.
The framework now provides a structured approach covering:
- plastic leakage inventory (macro- and microplastics)
- sector-specific sources
- impact assessment and emerging valuation approaches
- and complementary guidance to support mitigation and reporting
This continued development reflects PFN’s core ambition: to provide a science-based, consistent, and practical methodology that can be used across organizations and sectors.
Alongside this, complementary work such as the Plastic Pollution Mitigation Action Framework (PAF) has helped strengthen the link between footprinting and action—supporting organisations in structuring and tracking mitigation efforts in a more consistent way.
Addressing key gaps: new modules released in the 2025 cycle
A major achievement of this cycle has been the release of new modules tackling complex and previously under-accounted sources of plastic pollution, as well as advancing impact-related work.
Microplastics from Tires
This work was developed by the dedicated PFN working group on tire wear emissions, bringing together experts from industry and research to address this complex and data-scarce topic.
The updated module introduces highly granular emission factors to better capture tire and road wear particles (TRWP): one of the largest sources of microplastic emissions globally and a critical gap in many plastic footprint assessments. It is supported by detailed secondary data, including microplastic loss rates by vehicle type, parameter-specific adjustment factors (e.g., driving speed, road type and condition, etc.), and release rates across environmental compartments, with optional inputs such as average passenger numbers or transported load to further refine estimates.
It provides a methodology to:
- quantify emissions from tire wear
- integrate these emissions into plastic footprint calculations
- capture a diffuse source that is often not included in reporting
Louisa Ospital led the working group for this module, conducting her PhD in parallel at CIRAIG (Polytechnique Montréal). We would also like to thank the reviewers who contributed their expertise and feedback to strengthen the robustness of this module, Dr. Elena Corella Puertas (DTU), Julien Boucher (Earth Action) and Anne-Marie Boulay (Polytechnique Montréal).
Plastic Leakage from Agriculture
This module, led by EVEA, structures plastic leakage from agricultural applications, an area gaining increasing attention but still lacking standardized approaches.
It introduces:
- a unified methodology to estimate leakage from plasticulture (e.g. mulch films, greenhouse films), agricultural inputs, irrigation systems, and protective materials
- source-specific pathways and intervention points for both macro- and microplastic losses in agricultural contexts
- practical calculation approaches combining plastic use, loss, and release rates
- guidance to integrate agricultural emissions into plastic footprint assessments
The module also highlights the scale and complexity of the issue, with agricultural soils potentially receiving significantly more plastic inputs than oceans annually, depending on context and assumptions.
This work was developed by Aurelie Perrin, Ines Boquillon, and Robin Sales (EVEA), and Elena Corella Puertas (DTU).
We also thank the reviewers, Ricardo Rebolledo Leiva (Universidad Católica del Maule) and Nadim Saadi (Polytechnique Montréal), for their valuable input in strengthening the methodology.
Impact Valuation of Plastic Leakage
Another key milestone this year is the introduction of the impact valuation module, expanding PFN’s scope from measuring leakage to understanding its societal cost.
This module provides:
- a framework to translate plastic leakage into monetary impact ($/ton)
- benchmark value factors to estimate damage
- methodologies such as eQALY, SROI, and IMOIC to support decision-making
This work was led by Ligia Moreno Soares (Valuing Impact) and Samuel Vionnet (Valuing Impact).
We also thank the reviewers, Bernd Nowack (Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and Maider Iturrondobeitia Ellacuria (Bilbao School of Engineering, EHU-UPV), for their valuable input in strengthening the methodology.
By connecting leakage to impacts across human health, ecosystems, and the economy, the module helps organizations better understand the magnitude of their footprint and prioritize interventions accordingly. It also enables companies to assess both the cost of externalities associated with plastic leakage and the societal benefits of mitigation actions—such as reduced health risks, improved ecosystem quality, and enhanced community well-being.
More broadly, by expressing impacts in monetary terms, the module supports the practice of impact valuation and accounting. It enables organizations to compare the relative importance of plastic leakage with other environmental and social issues such as climate change, land use, air pollution, or social impacts.
This provides a clearer view of both the financial and societal risks of inaction, whether through future regulation, reputational exposure, or rising cleanup costs, while also highlighting the value created by acting early and supporting more informed, forward-looking decision-making.
Long Life Items
This module addresses an important gap in plastic footprinting: how to account for durable plastic products that remain in use for years or even decades before becoming waste.
It provides:
- recommended approaches to include long-life plastic items (e.g. textiles, electronics, household goods) in footprint assessments
- guidance on when waste generation should be accounted for, introducing different approaches such as immediate, end-of-life, and amortized accounting
- methods to model how waste management systems may evolve over time, influencing future leakage
By introducing consistent accounting rules for these products, the module helps avoid underestimating delayed impacts and enables more accurate and forward-looking plastic footprint assessments.
This module is currently under review by the PFN’s strategic and scientific committees. As part of this process, stakeholders are invited to share their feedback through a survey available on the website.
A more complete and actionable framework
With these developments, PFN now offers a more comprehensive methodology that connects:
- where plastic leakage occurs
- how it can be measured
- what impact it has on ecosystem quality
- the societal costs associated with these impacts
- and how organizations can begin to act on it
This progression reflects a broader shift—from building a methodology to enabling practical use and impact-driven decision-making.
Entering a new chapter: shaping PFN 2026 together
As we move into the 2026 cycle, PFN enters a new phase.
The first step in this next cycle will be a prioritization exercise, aimed at identifying where the network can focus its efforts to deliver the greatest impact.
This includes exploring:
- which new modules or sectors should be developed
- where methodological improvements are most needed
- how to strengthen the usability and adoption of the framework
- and what collaborative research opportunities can be advanced together
Help define the priorities for 2026
PFN is built as a collaborative initiative, and its direction depends on the insights and needs of its community.
We are now inviting all members and stakeholders to contribute to this prioritization process.
Share your input through the survey
Your input will directly inform the PFN 2026 roadmap and help shape the next phase of research and development.
Looking ahead
The achievements of the 2025 cycle mark an important step forward—but they also highlight the work still to be done.
As the field of plastic footprinting continues to evolve, collaboration will remain essential to ensure that methodologies are not only scientifically robust, but also practical and impactful.
We look forward to building this next chapter together.