International Plastics Industry Efforts to Combat Marine Litter up 90-Percent

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - Jun 16, 2014) -  Leaders from plastics organizations across the globe announced that there were approximately 185 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 projects underway around the world.

The Global Declaration, signed in March 2011 at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, was originally signed by 47 plastics associations from regions across the globe. Recognizing their important role in fighting marine litter, these plastics associations launched and support 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.

"This is a tremendous increase in participation, considering where we started," said Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council. "As an industry, we have an important role in contributing sustainable solutions for marine litter." 

"Across the globe and in a remarkably short amount of time, we've seen a ramp up of programs that address marine debris, many of which involve cooperation with governments, non-governmental organizations, researchers, and other stakeholders," said Karl-H. Foerster, executive director of PlasticsEurope. "The cooperation between different stakeholders is crucial to tackle this very serious issue and we believe is the right path to follow."

Since initiating the Global Declaration, signatories have identified numerous specific actions designed to fulfill these commitments 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, 60 associations in 34 countries have signed on to the Global Declaration, and the 180 projects underway, planned or completed (as of December 2013), represent a nearly 90 percent increase in the number of projects since the Global Declaration's announcement.

http://www.americanchemistry.com

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance through Responsible Care®, common sense advocacy designed to address major public policy issues, and health and environmental research and product testing. The business of chemistry is a $770 billion enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is one of the nation's largest exporters, accounting for twelve percent of all U.S. exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest investors in research and development. Safety and security have always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies to improve security and to defend against any threat to the nation's critical infrastructure.

PlasticsEurope is one of the leading European trade associations with centres in Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris. We are networking with European and national plastics associations and have more than 100 member companies, producing over 90% of all polymers across the EU28 member states plus Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. The European plastics industry makes a significant contribution to the welfare in Europe by enabling innovation, creating quality of life to citizens and facilitating resource efficiency and climate protection. More than 1.4 million people are working in about 62,000 companies (mainly small and medium sized companies in the converting sector) to create a turnover in excess of 300 bn EUR per year. The plastics industry includes polymer producers - represented by PlasticsEurope, converters - represented by EuPC and machine manufacturers - represented by EUROMAP. For further info see the web links: www.plasticseurope.org, www.plasticsconverters.eu, http://www.euromap.org