Although plastic particles in the air are increasingly coming into focus, knowledge about their distribution and effects is still limited. Chemical analyses from Leipzig now provide details from Germany for the first time: Around 4% of the particulate matter consists of plastic. Around two-thirds of this comes from tire abrasion.
That is the most reasonable and achievable solution. Nothing else would really change things, as tires need to be made of durable materials that shed durable microparticles as they wear. Even trains do this, but because they carry people more efficiently, the impact is lessened. It’s never wise to bet on magic materials when the magic materials of the past are at the root of the problem.
We need a decades long change in both the economy and the way we live to fix most environmental problems. The solutions always exist, but we rarely implement them because power decides the future, not a quest for human well-being. Unless some country gets more powerful or some people become richer, it doesn’t happen. In this case, a solution will only be reached when cars are so disfavored by the country and market that the transition happens naturally.