Marine litter has been one of the biggest topics in plastics this year and the industry is not turning its back on its responsibilities.
seven new signatories were added to the Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter, or the Joint Declaration, in 2016, including the American Fiber Manufacturers Association (AFMA), the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA), the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the Ghanaian Plastics Manufacturers Association (GPMA), the Myanmar Plastics Industries Association (MPIA), the Indonesian Olefins, Aromatics and Plastics Association (INAPLA), and the Vietnam Plastics Association (VPA).
“We’re excited to welcome each of these new partners, who bring perspectives from countries in Asia and Africa, or types of plastic not previously represented in our Joint Declaration,” stated Steve Russell, Vice-President, Plastics, American Chemistry Council, at the 27th Global Meeting on Plastics and Sustainability in Hanoi, Vietnam. At the meeting, delegates also agreed that going forward the group will become known as the Global Plastics Alliance.”
Delegates from 17 countries and four continents participated in the Global Meeting – making this the largest and best attended meeting to date.
“Addressing marine litter issues effectively requires that we bring local, regional and global stakeholders together,” said Karl-H. Foerster, Executive Director of PlasticsEurope. “Broadening our fold helps us find new partners and opportunities to tackle this very serious problem.”
“Plastic producers from around the world are coming together to keep used plastic out of the environment, and to further improve the sustainability of these energy and resource efficient materials. The strong participation at this meeting demonstrates that this industry is committed to providing solutions to ensure a more sustainable future,” said Callum Chen, Secretary General of the Asia Plastics Forum. “Together, as a united, global industry, we’re involved in hundreds of marine litter prevention programs in all regions of the globe,” added Chen. “But there is still much to do. Growing our ranks helps further grow our work.”
The Global Declaration was launched in March 2011 at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference.
To date, the Declaration has been signed by 69 plastics associations from regions across the globe. Recognising their important role in fighting marine litter, these plastics associations have launched and are supporting projects in six key areas aimed at contributing to sustainable solutions. The six focus areas of the Global Declaration are education, research, public policy, sharing best practices, plastics recycling and recovery, and plastic pellet containment.
In May, leaders from plastics organisations across the globe announced that there were approximately 260 projects planned, underway or completed.
Source : eppm
