Global Plastics Associations Take Action on Marine Litter
The European plastics industry has been instrumental in bringing together 47 plastics industry organisations from around the world to sign up to a "Joint Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter”, which was announced at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Hawaii in March 2011.
The Declaration outlines a set of clear objectives for industry action, and advocates close cooperation with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve substantial progress in reducing damage to the marine environment.
In the six-point strategy outlined in the Declaration, the industry will:
- Work in public-private partnerships aimed at preventing marine debris
- Work with the scientific community to better understand the scope, origins and impact of marine litter and the range of solutions to the problem
- Promote comprehensive science-based policies and enforcement of existing laws to prevent marine litter
- Promote best practices in waste management, particularly in coastal regions
- Enhance opportunities to recover plastic products for recycling and energy recovery
- Steward the transport and distribution of plastic resin pellets and products to its consumers and promote this practice along the supply chain
"Plastics litter in any environment is unacceptable. This global industry declaration will act as a catalyst for tangible actions at national, regional and international level. Contributing
to substantially reducing marine litter is essential for our industry.”
Jacques van Rijckevorsel
President, PlasticsEurope |
For more info, see the Marine Litter solutions website and download the Joint Declaration and Press Release
Jean-Pierre De Greve, Executive Director, PlasticsEurope, launching the Global Declaration
