Plastics are an integral part of modern life, used in a broad range of applications such as packaging, construction, transport, furniture, medical applications, and machinery. However, this comes at an increasing environmental cost. Most of the plastic waste is either accumulating in landfills or the natural environment, where it eventually ends ups in the ocean. While annual global production of plastics recently reached over 350 million tonnes/year, it has been estimated near 10 million tonnes/year are entering the ocean every year. This massive accumulation of plastics that is taking place in the environment poses a major threat to ecosystems, human health, and economy.
EU-funded LAnd Based solutions for PLAstics in the Sea Project (LabPlas) project is a comprehensive collective effort from 16 organisations to better understand the sources, transport, distribution and impacts of plastic pollution. LabPlas Project is studying the smaller small micro and nanoplastics (SMNPs) (<100 µm), which are commonly not monitored in the environment, and pose the highest risk to organisms and human health. LabPlas Project will provide scientific evidence supporting decision making in regulatory efforts and clarification on misperceptions of plastic properties. Furthermore, LabPlas Project will apply technological advances, promote biodegradable novel materials, and present results to national and international authorities and industry for decision making.
The High-Level Dialogue will bring together the plastic industry, scientific community, intergovernmental organizations and civil society, in order to discuss what the different actors in Europe (industry, society, policy) are achieving to address the highly complex and multi-faceted problem of plastic pollution, and to present the ambitious research from LabPlas project, in terms of key issues related to plastics in ecosystems, such as sources, biodegradability, ecotoxicology and environmental assessment. The High-Level Dialogue aims to increase engagement and discussion among stakeholders, create synergies and promote cooperation and coordinated actions towards the goal of zero plastic pollution by 2050, as envisioned by the recent EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan.
PROGRAMME (PM UTC)
1:00 – Welcome and Introduction, André Valente (AIR Centre)
1:10 – Session | Plastic governance strategy
- Plastic in the Ocean: key changes ahead in Europe , Sigi Gruber (Senior Adviser for EC)
- Challenges for the EU industry – prepare for change, Camilla Carteny (Plastics Europe)
- EU Zero Pollution Action Plan and Source to sea marine litter assessment, Mustafa Aydin (EEA)
1:40 – Session | small micro- and nano plastics (SMNPs)
- LabPlas project: tackling SMNPs knowledge gaps, Cynthia Gómez (UVI)
- Multi-matrix SMNPs contamination and impacts, Ricardo Beiras (UVI)
- Biodegradable polymers, Glauco Battagliarin (BASF)
- Estimating and reducing car tyre emissions in collaboration with stakeholders, Ad Ragas (RU)
2:40 – Round table: Knowledge gaps to policy implementation, moderated by André Valente (AIR Centre)
3:00 – Closing
Register for this webinar here, Or watch live on YouTube. Subscribe to their YouTube Channel.