Page 48 - Plastics News October 2019

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EU organises record number of Japan, U.S and EU are working
cleaning actions worldwide on the plastic crisis

n beaches across Europe and the world, EU staff are apan plans to lead a new initiative to reduce the
Ojoining hands with local communities to clean up Jamount of marine plastic waste released from
marine litter as part of the #EUBeachCleanUp campaign. cooperating states, with help for the USA and the EU.
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through October, culminating on Saturday 21 September, (USA) and the European Union (EU), Japan will be
the International Coastal CleanUp Day, with actions taking proposing a plan to not only responsibly manage the
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plastics used at home and away. Second only to the USA,
Japan is one of the world’s biggest producers of plastic
waste per capita. Consumers in Japan use around 30bn
plastic shopping bags a year. A study conducted Osaka
University of Commerce, Japan, estimated that 3m
plastic shopping bags and 6m other pieces of plastic
reside in Osaka Bay. The European parliament passed
legislation in March 2019 to ban single use plastic in all
member states by 2021. Japan and the US did not sign
the G-7 charter last year which was committed to the
reuse, recycling and collection of all plastic products
place in over 80 countries, on all inhabited continents. On by 2030. Until 2017, when Beijing banned the imports,
beaches across Europe and the world, EU staff are joining Japan would send 1.5m tonnes of plastic waste to
hands with local communities to clean up marine litter as China every year. Since the ban, Japan has continued
part of the #EUBeachCleanUp campaign. The success of to export their plastic waste to other Southeast Asian
#EUBeachCleanup relies on its combination of awareness- countries. The G20 environment ministers meeting in
raising – with a powerful social media presence - and Japan agreed on a framework that calls on countries
very concrete call to action: come and join us at your to reduce the use of single-use plastics. The ministers
EHDFK Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs
and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella is proud of the campaign
and invites everyone to participate: “The European Union
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pollution in the world. Together with the United Nations,
we want our oceans to be cleaner and healthier - in line
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year, we have a new partner: the Smurfs. Blue, brave
and with an exceptional appeal to young and old, they
are the ideal partners of our campaign. Join our events
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many #EUBeachCleanUp events, happening in the coming stated: “Marine litter, especially marine plastic litter
weeks, will each bring tons of litter from seas and shores to and microplastics, is a matter requiring urgent action
local waste management facilities. Through the campaign, given its adverse impacts on marine ecosystems,
the EU and partners want to engage the public and raise OLYHOLKRRGV DQG LQGXVWULHV LQFOXGLQJ ÀVKHULHV WRXULVP
DZDUHQHVV SDUWLFXODUO\ DPRQJ FKLOGUHQ DQG \RXWK :KHQ and shipping, and potentially on human health.” Most
picking up litter from the beach, people will recognize recently, Japan has announced setting aside USD 18.6
many single use itemsuse plastic items most commonly million to promote waste incineration in Southeast
found in marine litter. Asian countries.

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