Plastics strategies

Question 1

The plastic problem and marine debris

Answer 1

• The majority of the global produced plastic (79%) ends up in landfill sites or the environment
• 75% of marine litter is plastic leading to sea birds and marine mammals mortality
• 90% of the waste sink to the sea bed invisible to human eye
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is about the same size as Central Europe
• sources: Plastic pellets, synthetic textiles, tyres (Reifen), etc.
• Problem: Mismanaged plastics

Question 2

Global plastic waste

Answer 2

• Plastic waste recovery very uneven in Europe
• Countries with landfill restrictions have higher recycling rates of plastic (e.g. Norway, Germany)
• Up until 2012 China and including Honk Kong
  imported about 2.9 million tonnes of EU plastic waste per year
• China’s Operation Green Fence (2013) resulted
  in almost complete ban on importing waste plastics
  → increased export to other Asian countries (e.g. Malaysia)
  → most of the solid waste ends on landfill sites

Question 3

Honolulu Strategy

Answer 3

• Adopted in 2011 by UNEP and NOAA
• Global framework against marine litter (Abfälle) for reducingenvironmental, health and economic impacts of marine litter by 2030
• Framework for a comprehensive and global effort to
  reduce the ecological, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris globally (not only plastics)

The Honolulu Strategy is intended for use as a:
* Planning tool for developing marine debris programs and projects
* Sharing of best practices and lessons learned
* Monitoring tool to measure progress across multiple programs and projects

• No direct implementation by countries/ organizations
  → instrument to support national & international efforts and to catalyze new ones
  → guide monitoring and evaluation of global progress on specific strategies at local, national, regional and international level of implementation
• Focus on improved cooperation and coordination between stakeholder
• No substitution of activities of national authorities, communities, industry or international organizations

Question 4

Honolulu Strategy Goals

Answer 4

3 goals
* Goal A: Reduced amount and impact of land based sources of marine debris introduced into the sea
– Waste, tires , road pavement, textiles, plastic pallets

• Goal B: Reduced amount and impact of sea based sources of marine debris introduced into the sea
  – Fishery equipment
• Goal C: Reduced amount and impact of accumulated marine debris on shorelines, in benthic habitats, and in pelagic waters
  – Can be reduced by reducing inputs of plastics

Provide a set of strategies and potential actions related to each goal
→ strategies under Goal A and B focus on prevention
→ strategies under Goal C focus on removing
* Strategies: e.g. education and outreach, developing and promoting new technologies
* Strategies are formulated very broadly without any concrete measures

Question 5

Honolulu Strategy actions

Answer 5

Strategies focued on Prevention and Management of Land-Based Scources:
* Develop and implement an education campaign to increase recycling and proper disposal efforts
* Promote the use of reusable bags and containers as
* Develop purchasing strategies as a tool to reduce all highly littered items
* Promote economic incentives for recycling and composting
* Enact or change public policies regarding littering and illegal dumping, including appropriate penalties

Question 6

EU Single use plastic directive

Answer 6

• June 2019
• Targets the 10 single use plastic products most often found on Europe’s beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear

Three categories:
* Items for which available sustainable alternatives exist cannot be placed on the markets, promote alternatives
* Items without alternatives better informing the consumers, making the producers financially responsible for the consequences
* Well captured items make sure that they land in the existing (or forthcoming) separate collection and recycling circuit

• Ban on several plastic products (e.g. cotton swab, straws)
• Reduction (soon ban) of the consumption of cups and food packaging
• Requirements on product design (e.g . 90% separate collection target for plastic bottles)
• Extended producer responsibility (e.g. cigarette filters and fishing gear)
• Awareness raising activities
• Objective: prevent and reduce the impact of certain plastic products

Actions for/of member states:
– Reduction of consumption
– Restrictions on placing on the market
– Product requirements harmonized standards are needed
– Marking requirements: informing for consumers such as (a) appropriate waste disposal options for the product, (b) the negative environmental impacts of littering,(c) the presence of plastics in the product
– Extended producer responsibility: covering the costs for waste, transport and treatment, to clean up litter and for awareness raising measures
– Separate collection, e.g. establish deposit refund schemes
– Awareness raising measures
– Monitoring of implementation
– Penalties

Question 7

A European strategy for plastics in a circular economy

Answer 7

• adopted 2018

Goals: Protection of both environment and humans from harmful impacts of plastics maintaining economic development

Vision for Europe’s new plasticeconomy with focus on reuse, repair and recycling
→ from 2030 on all plastic packaging is supposed to be
recyclable

Some measures:
– Making recycling a rewarding business
– Containment of plastic waste
– Stop littering of the seas
– Mobilize investment and innovation
– Cause an impactful global change

Question 8

European plastic pact

Answer 8

• public private coalition between governments and stakeholder groups from across the whole value chain launched in January 2020
• By now the pact has been signed by 14 (regional) governments, 72 companies, 22 organizations and 3 NGOs from 20 different countries
• The pact aims to be complementary to existing initiatives and legal frameworks
• To fulfil the pacts overall aim of accelerating the transition towards a European circular plastics economy signatories will
  – ooperate across the value chain on a European scale to boost the development of smarter
  techniques and approaches
  – Harmonize guidelines, standards and national supporting frameworks
  – Connect to share best practices in meetings, annual progress reports and on the website

4 goals towards a circular plastics economy (voluntary, non-binding):
1. Reusability and recyclability by design, e.g. develop products/Materials/techn. less complex
2. Responsible use of plastics, e.g. raising awareness and education
3. Collection, sorting and recycling, e.g. development quality standards for sorting
4. Use of recycled plastics, e.g. Working towards an average of at least 30% post consumer recycled (PCR) plastics in new products and materials

Question 9

Outlook - Plastic

Answer 9

1. UN environmental Programm will establish a legally
   binding agreement
   * Addressing :
   – The full lifecycle of plastics
   – The design of reusable and recyclable products and materials
   – The need for enhanced international collaboration to facilitate access to technology, capacity building and scientific and technical cooperation
   * Begin with the work in 2022, with the ambition of completing a draft global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024
2. EU Commission starts the communication on a policy framework for biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics (2022)
   * For consumers: reusable packaging options , get rid of
   unnecessary packaging , limit overpackaging , and provides clear labels to support correct recycling
   * For industries: boosting Europe’s recycling capacity , less dependent on primary resources and external suppliers

Question 10

German strategies

Answer 10

Packaging law (VerpackG)
- Replaces Packaging ordinance since Jan 2019

Goal: avoidance and reduction of impacts of packaging waste

• Applies for all packaging and all manufactures and distributors, who place filled packaging on the market for end consumers (b2c packaging)
• Updated in 2021 to bring it into line with the current EU Directives adapted the Single use plastic Directive and Waste framework Directive
• Creation of a central body for increased transparency and control on product responsibility
  – Package registry: all b2c packaging need to be registered
  – All packaging has to be licensed with one of the available packaging schemes, like Grüner Punkt

→ To make sure that packaging will be recycled

New recycling targets: Reusability rate of 70% for beverage packaging