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The 5th participatory session of the OceanWise project took place in Lorient, France on July 11th, 2019. The organization of this event was ensured by the French partners of the OceanWise project, Université Bretagne Sud, Seabird, and Cedre.

24 stakeholders participated on the event, representatives of several sectors of activity related directly or indirectly to the life cycle of the EPS/XPS, such as Companies of material production, R&D and waste treatment, Institutions, Pollutions experts, Fisheries, Aquaculture union associations, System developers, Life cycle experts and non-governmental organizations related to the Environment. 

The participants identified the main priorities to be addressed moving towards integrating EPS/XPS into a circular economy for France: Eco-Design and alternatives to EPS foams; Awareness and uses; Collection; Political solutions and synergies.

Know more:

This workshop is part of a series of international meetings that will take place throughout the year 2019, aiming to capture the active participation of the sectors that influence the complex problem of the loss of products discarded to the sea. 

The project aims to propose updates of public policies and new good practices to be adopted by Industry.

The 4th participatory session of the OceanWise project took place in Dublin on May 30th. The event was organised by the Irish partners of the OceanWise project: UCC MaREI, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and REPAK.

Twenty stakeholders representing several sectors of activity related directly or indirectly to the life cycle of the EPS/XPS (14 from the Industry, 4 from Policy/Regulation, and 2 from Research/Science) identified three priorities to be addressed moving forward towards integrating EPS/XPS into a circular economy for Ireland:

– Alternatives Testing
Stakeholders identified the need to thoroughly understand the multi-dimensional impacts of using alternative materials to EPS/XPS, along with the need to show, unequivocally, that an alternative is more sustainable than EPS/XPS.
Actors to Involve: Manufacturers, Retailers, End-users, NGOs, European Union
Information to Collect: Costs of disposal/production; resource use; sustainability of raw materials; logistics; CO2 emissions; recyclability; toxicity in the natural environment; Life Cycle Assessment boundaries
– Education
Stakeholders identified the need to improve overall knowledge, across a product’s value chain, of the sustainability of certain products and their appropriate disposal methods.
Actors to Involve: Industry, Consumers, Recyclers, Government/Policymakers (Local, Regional, National, and EU)
Information to Collect: Clarification on what product material is made of, benchmark models on what works (e.g. Life Cycle Assessment) and focus on best options
– Incentives
Stakeholders identified the need to incentivise, through subsidies, tax credits (e.g. Tax credit scheme to encourage uptake), etc., the transition from linear economic business models to more circular business models.
Actors to Involve: DCCAE, EU direct to member states with policy

This work sets a collective agenda that OceanWise will infuse into the project’s future initiatives.

Know more:

This workshop is part of a series of international meetings that will take place throughout the year 2019, aiming to capture the active participation of the sectors that influence the complex problem of the loss of products discarded to the sea. The next meeting will take place in Dublin, on May 30th. 

The project aims to propose updates of public policies and new good practices to be adopted by Industry.

The third participatory session of the OceanWise project took place in London on march 27th. 16 stakeholders got together for a full afternoon of debate in search for solutions to make the EPS and XPS products less of a risk to the marine environment. 

The participants included EPS manufacturers, the British Plastics Federation, Seafood retail companies, alternatives to fish boxes, Marine litter policy, Governmental organisations and Waste policy entities.

Organized by Cefas, which is one of the partners to the project, this participated session resulted in a whole set of proposals, concerns and ideas which the stakeholders agreed to and which will now  integrate the OceanWise process. 

The most highlighted topics by the stakeholders in London were: Regulation, Investment on Infrastrucutres, Innivation, Education, and Environmental protection.

Know more:

This workshop is part of a series of international meetings that will take place throughout the year 2019, aiming to capture the active participation of the sectors that influence the complex problem of the loss of products discarded to the sea. The next meeting will take place in Dublin, on May 30th. 

The project aims to propose updates of public policies and new good practices to be adopted by Industry.

The second participatory session of the OceanWise project took place in Vigo, at Cetmar. 30 Spanish stakeholders got together for a full morning of debate in search for solutions to make the EPS and XPS products less of a risk to the marine environment. 

The wide group of participants included: EPS producers, EPS recyclers, waste management companies, EPS Industry profesional associations, manufacturers of machinery for EPS waste  uptake, port authorities, representatives from the fisheries and the acquaculture Industries, a supermermarkets group, a territorial cooperation entity, and NGOs.

The most highlighted topics by the stakeholders in Vigo were: Management, specific Legislation and Regulation, Awareness raising, Financial Incentives, and Research and Innovation.

Know more:

The meeting was organized by Cetmar and Sustainn, which are the Spanish members of the OceanWise consortium, with the support of the Faculty of Science and Technology of the NOVA University.

This workshop is part of a series of international meetings that will take place throughout the year 2019, aiming to capture the active participation of the sectors that influence the complex problem of the loss of products discarded to the sea. The next meeting will take place in London, on March 27th, and will be followed by similar meetings in Ireland and in France.

The project aims to propose updates of public policies and new good practices to be adopted by Industry.

The first participatory session of the OceanWise project (March 7, 2019) joined more than 50 Portuguese stakeholders to the project, bringing together participants responsible for environmental management, waste management, representatives of the industries of production and recycling of expanded polystyrene, also from Fisheries, Aquaculture, Food Distribution, the Academy and non-governmental organizations related to the Environment.

At the meeting in Lisbon, the participants presented ideas and technical contributions from a perspective of Circular Economy and articulation between sectors. Opportunities and solutions have also been mentioned in the fields of regulation, innovation, information and awareness among the various actors and consumers.

With this workshop, the OceanWise project begins a series of international meetings that will take place throughout the year 2019 and aim to capture the active participation of the sectors that influence the complex problem of the loss of products discarded to the sea. The upcoming meetings will take place in Vigo, Spain and in London, in March, and will be followed by similar meetings in Ireland and in France.

The project aims to propose updates of public policies and new good practices to be adopted by Industry.

The meeting was organized by the Directorate General of Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), the Faculty of Science and Technology of the NOVA University and Sociedade Ponto Verde, the three Portuguese partners of this international project.

Single-use plastic items such as plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks or cotton buds, will be banned in the EU under plans adopted on Wednesday.

These products, which make up over 70% of marine litter, will be banned from the EU market from 2021, under draft plans approved by Parliament.

MEPs added to this list of plastics banned from the EU market from 2021: products made of oxo-degradable plastics, such as bags or packaging and fast-food containers made of expanded polystyrene.

National reduction targets for other non-banned plastics

The consumption of several other items, for which no alternative exists, will have to be reduced by member states by least 25% by 2025. This includes single-use burger boxes, sandwich boxes or food containers for fruits, vegetables, desserts or ice creams. Member states will draft national plans to encourage the use of products suitable for multiple use, as well as re-using and recycling.

Other plastics, such as beverage bottles, will have to be collected separately and recycled at a rate of 90% by 2025.

Cigarette butts and lost fishing gear

MEPs agreed that reduction measures should also cover waste from tobacco products, in particular cigarette filters containing plastic. It would have to be reduced by 50% by 2025 and 80% by 2030.

One cigarette butt can pollute between 500 and 1000 litres of water, and thrown on the roadway, it can take up to twelve years to disintegrate. They are the second most littered single-use plastic items.

Member states should also ensure that at least 50% of lost or abandoned fishing gear containing plastic is collected per year, with a recycling target of at least 15% by 2025. Fishing gear represents 27% of waste found on Europe’s beaches.

Making producers more accountable

Member states would have to ensure that tobacco companies cover the costs of waste collection for those products, including transport, treatment and litter collection. The same goes for producers of fishing gear containing plastic, who will need to contribute to meeting the recycling target.

Frédérique Ries (ALDE, BE), rapporteur, said: “We have adopted the most ambitious legislation against single-use plastics. It is up to us now to stay the course in the upcoming negotiations with the Council, due to start as early as November. Today’s vote paves the way to a forthcoming and ambitious directive. It is essential in order to protect the marine environment and reduce the costs of environmental damage attributed to plastic pollution in Europe, estimated at 22 billion euros by 2030.”

Next steps

The report, drafted by Frédérique Ries (ALDE, BE), was adopted with 571 votes to 53 and 34 abstentions. Parliament will enter into negotiations with Council when EU ministers will have set their own position on the file.

Background

According to the European Commission, more than 80% of marine litter is plastics. The products covered by these restrictions constitute 70% of all marine litter items. Due to its slow rate of decomposition, plastic accumulates in seas, oceans and on beaches in the EU and worldwide. Plastic residue is found in marine species – such as sea turtles, seals, whales and birds, but also in fish and shellfish, and therefore in the human food chain.

While plastics are a convenient, adaptable, useful and economically valuable material, they need to be better used, re-used and recycled. When littered, the economic impact of plastics encompasses not just the lost economic value in the material, but also the costs of cleaning up and losses for tourism, fisheries and shipping.

Source: www.europarl.europa.eu

Themes: Single-use plastic