At the initiative of PlasticsEurope (Brussels / Belgium; www.plasticseurope.org), 47 worldwide plastics producers industry associations have signed the “Joint Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter.” This sets what they term a “set of clear objectives for industry action” to reduce damage to the marine environment. In view of reports that littered plastic and other materials are ending up as debris in the oceans, the organisations say they are “firmly committed” to the principle that plastics should be responsibly used, reused, recycled and recovered for their energy value.

In the six-point strategy outlined in the declaration, the industry pledges to work in public-private partnerships aimed at preventing marine debris and with the scientific community to understand the scope, origins and impact of the problem and help find solutions. It also intends to promote “science-based policies” and enforcement of existing laws to prevent marine litter, as well as promoting best practices in waste management – especially in coastal regions – and stewarding the transport and distribution chains.

In February of this year, the European plastics converters association EuPC (Brussels; www.plasticsconverters.eu) announced its pilot project, “European Waste Free Oceans” (EWFO), which aims to collect marine debris and recycle it in the regions where the problem is most prominent – see Plasteurope.com of 21.02.2011.

e-Service:
Joint Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter as a PDF document