Leaders from plastics organizations across the globe announced that there were approximately 260 projects planned, underway or completed as part of the Declaration of the Global Plastics Associations for Solutions on Marine Litter (Global Declaration), a public commitment by the global plastics industry to tackle plastic in the marine environment.
The announcement came with the release of the plastics industry’s annual progress report, which documents the various efforts underway around the world.
The Global Declaration was launched in March 2011 at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference by 47 plastics associations from regions across the globe. Recognizing 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/recovery, and plastic pellet containment.
“We’re very pleased with the continued growth in the work we’re doing on marine litter,” said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council.
“Since our last report, we’ve increased the number of industry associations participating as part of the Global Declaration and demonstrated that, united, we can help make a difference.”
Since initiating the Global Declaration, signatories have identified numerous specific actions designed to fulfill these commitments across six focus areas and have agreed to track and report progress. In 2013 the Global Declaration also became part of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Partnership on Marine Litter.
Today, 65 associations in 34 countries have signed on to the Global Declaration, and the 260 projects underway, planned or completed (as of December 2015), represent a nearly 165 percent increase in the number of projects since the Global Declaration’s announcement.
Published in the July 2016 Edition of American Recycler News