Page 62 - Plastics News July 2026
P. 62
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
LLDPE is widely used in packaging films and oth- enough evidence of dumping and injury. Such
er flexible plastic applications. measures could require importers to provide
guarantees against potential anti-dumping duty.
Interested parties have until 16 July to register
for the investigation. The authority plans to issue The TRA expects to publish preliminary findings
questionnaires on 24 July, with responses due in February 2027 and make a final recommenda-
by 24 August. Verification work is scheduled for tion to the secretary of state for business and
September and October. trade in June 2027.
The TRA said it may propose provisional meas-
ures between October and December if it finds
IAEA Launches New NUTEC Plastics Global Marine
Monitoring Platform
cientific experts from 65 countries gath- “The network will help advance the work of ex-
ered at the IAEA this week to launch isting laboratories by strengthening global co-
Sthe NUTEC Plastics Global Marine Moni- operation and knowledge exchange on marine
toring Platform, designed to strengthen inter- plastic pollution,” said Margaret Doane, IAEA
national collaboration and knowledge shar- Deputy Director General and Head of the De-
ing on the amount and trends of microplastics partment of Management in her opening re-
in marine and coastal zones. The Platform will marks. “Through the NUTEC Plastics initiative,
serve as an online repository for the findings of the Agency is helping countries use nuclear and
the network of marine monitoring laboratories isotopic techniques to better understand, moni-
supported through the IAEA’s NUTEC Plastics tor and ultimately address plastic pollution,” she
initiative. Access is available with the creation of added.
a free IAEA Nucleus account.
Differences in sampling protocols, analytical
Plastic pollution is a global environmental chal- methodologies and data collection methods of
lenge. Each year, between 19 to 23 million tonnes laboratories globally have made generating reli-
of plastic waste enter the marine ecosystem and able, comparable data on marine microplastics
over time the discarded plastic is broken down difficult.
into microplastic, making it easier for plastics to
enter water, soil and living organisms. Effective The NUTEC Global Marine Monitoring Network
monitoring of microplastics in the ocean on a brings together specialized laboratories around
global scale depends on the ability to compare the world capable of monitoring marine micro-
data across countries and regions. plastic concentrations and trends using harmo-
nized protocols.
66 PLASTICS NEWS July 2026
