Global plastics industry combats marine litter

JOHANNESBURG–There are presently 185 projects being 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. This was announced by the Plastics|SA, South Africa’s leading organisation for the plastics industry. The announcement came with the release of the international plastics industry’s annual progress report, which documents the projects underway around the world.

Plastics SA was one of the signatories of the Global Declaration, which was co-signed by leaders from plastics organisations across the globe in March 2011 at the 5th International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to Douw Steyn, Director: Sustainability at Plastics SA and Chairman of the Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement of the Global Action Team on Marine Debris (GAT).

Since initiating the Global Declaration, signatories have identified numerous specific actions designed to fulfil these commitments and have agreed to track and report progress. According to the 2013 report, the international plastics industry’s efforts have resulted in a 90% increase in projects that combat marine debris.

For its part, the Plastics SA hosted the first African Marine Debris Summit last year, and is currently planning a second marine debris summit to take place in Cape Town in June 2015. The umbrella body representing the South African plastics industry will also once again be coordinating the 29th International Coastal Clean Up day on 20 September 2014 as part of its commitments to find tangible and workable solutions for the problem of marine litter found in South African oceans and around the continent.