The United Nations Ocean Conference concluded on June 9, 2017 with a 鈥淐all For Action鈥� for voluntary commitments on marine litter. American Chemistry Council (ACC) issued the following statement, which may be attributed to Steve Russell, vice president of plastics:
鈥淓xperts agree: 聽to stem the tide of marine debris, we must prevent land-based trash from reaching our oceans in the first place. We must do so urgently, with an initial focus on parts of the world where such systems are lacking. This includes reducing waste, improved collection and sortation, matched with the latest recycling and recovery technologies.
While we congratulate the United Nations on its tremendous work this week to prioritize this important issue, we had hoped the outcomes would focus more on building political and financial support for improved waste management, or on deploying innovative recycling and energy recovery. Recommendations to instead ban or reduce the use of specific products may give the illusion of progress, but in fact don鈥檛 help us solve the bigger problem.
鈥淣evertheless, our industry remains committed to delivering solutions. Plastics makers currently have more than 260 projects around the world either planned, underway or completed to combat marine litter. Our combined efforts, to research and prevent marine debris around the world under our 鈥淒eclaration of the Global Plastics Industry for Solutions on Marine Litter,鈥� have grown each year since 2011, when it was launched. Signed by 70 plastics associations in 35 countries, the declaration focuses on education, public policy, best practices, plastics recycling and recovery, plastic pellet containment, and research.
鈥淚n addition, we are working with leaders in regions where ocean plastic inputs are the highest, to ensure that waste management systems are a priority, and to catalyze investment in those systems. 聽聽And we are working with the UN to provide technical expertise and a range of commitments under the Global Partnership on Marine Litter.
鈥淧eople around the world rely on plastics in innumerable ways. Durable and lightweight, plastics are amazing materials that provide important societal benefits including energy and resource savings, preventing food waste, improved healthcare and consumer protection. But when plastics are improperly managed, their full sustainability benefits aren鈥檛 realized. Solutions require the cooperation of industry, civil society and other stakeholders to effect meaningful change.鈥�
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