This year’s PolyTalk 2018, held in St-Julian’s, Malta, brought together more than 190 attendees, under the banner of ‘Together we must save our oceans from litter.’
PolyTalk 2018, organised by trade association, PlasticsEurope, aimed to identify the path towards a clean marine environment with a special focus on the Mediterranean Sea.
The event also served as a platform to strengthen industry efforts and actions to tackle marine litter while boosting the role of research and innovations to identify knowledge gaps.
Common points such as strategies and actions to change citizens’ behaviours and the importance of implementing proper waste management infrastructures were shared amongst a broad range of stakeholders.
Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries presented key European policy actions such as the Circular Economy Package and the Plastics Strategy aimed at tackling marine litter.
During the conference solutions at regional level were emphasised by Jose A. Herrera, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change and Jim Steward, Chairman of the World Plastic Council and Vice-President of LyondellBasell highlighted the role at a global level.
Steward explained the role of industry initiatives such as the World Plastics Council and the Global Plastic Alliance, discussing how 74 plastic associations in 40 countries have signed the plastics industry’s global declaration, through which 355 projects have been planned.
“With PolyTalk2018, we want not only to raise awareness, but to share concrete strategies and build new partnerships for preventing marine litter around the world,” said Daniele Ferrari, President of PlasticsEurope and CEO of Versalis (Eni).
“We want to strengthen our industry efforts and cooperation in key areas, to identify knowledge gaps, and discuss how to improve waste management infrastructures.”