Recycled ML flip-flop elephant

UNEA-2 outcome Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics

Requested UNEP to provide support to the development of marine litter action plans upon request by countries

Requested UNEP ED to undertake a study on marine plastic debris and marine microplastics building on existing work and taking into account the most up-to-date studies and data

Encouraged Governments, intergovernmental organizations,

industry and others to cooperate with the Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML)

UNEA 1/6 Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics:

Background, Evidence Base, Taking Action, and Conclusions and Key Policy Needs (www.unep.org/unea)

Taking Action – closing the loop Prioritize interventions – hotspots Risk-based assessment to ID appropriate intervention

points & which stakeholder groups need to be involved to define the problem/potential solutions to ‘close the loop’

BATs, BEPs, MBIs, legislation, criteria

Areas in need of more research & priority areas for action

Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics

Recognizes that the presence of plastic litter and microplastics needs an urgent global response taking into account a product life-cycle approach, and that measures need to be taken and adapted as appropriate to the local, national and regional situations.

Resolution 1/6 - urges all States to implement fully all its relevant recommendations and decisions,

Importance of cooperation and information sharing between the UNEP, IMO, FAO, BRS, CBD, IWC, CMS; and invites/encourages the cooperation under the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, on this matter;

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Acknowledges the regional action plans on marine litter and urges other Governments and regions to collaborate to establish such action plans, where relevant;

Welcomes the report of the UNEP ED on marine plastic debris and microplastics and urges the evaluation and possible implementation of the recommendations as relevant and appropriate;

Stresses that prevention and environmentally sound management of waste, is key to long-term success in combating marine pollution, including marine plastic debris and microplastics, and calls on Member States to establish and implement necessary policies, regulatory frameworks and measures consistent with the waste hierarchy - importance of providing capacity-building, financial assistance (SIDS/LD)

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Welcomes the UNEPs ML MOOC; the WOD the ML focused UNICPOLOS & SG report

Recognizes that surface runoff, rivers and sewage outfalls are important pathways for litter transfer from land to the sea; also recognizes the need for measures against the littering of freshwater courses, including measures to adapt to extreme storms, flooding and other relevant climate change effects; and encourages international cooperation on transboundary watercourses in that regard, where relevant;

Also recognizes that education, capacity-building, knowledge transfer and awareness raising regarding sources, negative effects of and measures to reduce and prevent marine plastic debris and microplastics, and environmentally sound waste management systems and clean-up actions, is crucial;

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Need to identify transport and distribution pathways and hotspots of marine litter, to cooperate regionally and internationally on clean-up actions of such hotspots where appropriate and to develop environmentally sound systems and methods for such removal and sound disposal of marine litter; stresses that removal is urgent in areas where it poses an immediate threat to sensitive marine and coastal ecosystems or marine based livelihoods or local societies; and recognizes that removal actions as far as possible should be risk based and cost-effective, following BATs & BEPs and the polluter-pays approach;

Encourages Governments at all levels to further develop partnerships with industry and civil society and the establishment of public-private partnerships / sustainable tourism, 10YFP STP

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Recognizes the work of the FAO and regional fisheries bodies and management organizations to mitigate and clean up ALDFG and encourages MS to include such measures in national and regional action plans against marine litter, as relevant, noting that cost-effective technologies and practices are available;

Underlines the need for the sharing of knowledge and experience on the best available techniques and environmental practices for reducing littering from the fishing industry and aquaculture and to implement pilot projects where appropriate, including in respect of deposit schemes, voluntary agreements and recovery, in particular through prevention, (3Rs) reduction, reuse and recycle.

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Acknowledges the findings of the UNEP ED report on sources and possible measures for avoiding microplastics entering the marine environment and recognizes that Governments need to further identify the most significant sources and important and cost effective preventive measures at the national and regional levels, invites Governments to undertake such prioritized measures nationally and through regional and international cooperation and in cooperation with industry, as appropriate, and to share their experiences, and urges the phasing-out of primary microplastic particles in products, including wherever possible products such as personal care-products, industrial abrasives and printing products, and their replacement with organic or mineral non hazardous compounds;

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Encourages the establishment of a harmonized international size definition and terminology and compatible standards and methods for the monitoring and assessment of marine plastic debris and microplastics, as well as the establishment of and cooperation on cost-effective monitoring, building as far as possible on ongoing related monitoring programmes and considering alternative automated and remote sensing technology where possible and relevant;

Underlines that, while research already undertaken provides sufficient evidence for immediate action, more research is needed on marine plastic debris and microplastics, including associated chemicals, and especially on environmental and social, including human health, impacts, pathways, fluxes and fate, including fragmentation and degradation rate, in all marine compartments

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Requested UNEP to provide support to the development of marine litter action plans upon request by countries

Requested UNEP ED to assess the effectiveness of relevant international, regional and sub-regional governance strategies and approaches to combat marine plastic litter and microplastics and identify gaps and options for addressing them ( UNEA-3)

Establishment of public-private partnerships, development of campaigns for awareness-raising, prevention and clean-up

encouraged product manufacturers to consider the lifecycle environmental impacts of products containing microbeads and compostable polymers

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Recognizes the role of IMO in mitigating marine litter, recalls MARPOL Annex V; need to reduce illegal dumping of litter in the sea, including through establishment and use of effective port reception facilities, identification and, as appropriate, recovery of cost related to the disposal of garbage and waste including through harbour fees and consideration of other incentives, and innovative approaches;

Support by Government of Norway

UNEA 2/11 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics:

Assessment - establish a process

MOOC II in English & Spanish Global Campaign on Marine Litter (5yr)

Database on BATs/BEPs (Uni.of Georgia)

Innovation Challenge for Universities

(Launch 2017) Global Monitoring Platform for ML

Implementation: Capacity building & Awareness

Implementation: Action Plans & Study

Thank you for your attention

JOIN US!

www.unep.org/gpa/gpml www.marinelitternetwork.org

Microplastics and fisheries/aquaculture, Methods to

estimate ghost fishing (FAO)

London Convention – plastics in the waste streams,

Training package MARPOL V (IMO)

Gender, plastics & chemicals

Overview of ML relevant legislation

Plastics and vector-borne diseases

Plastics management strategy for SIDS and Islands

Implementation: Knowledge

• 4360 tonnes of microplastic beads (2012 in EU plus Norway and Switzerland)

• Internationalization of the “Beat the microbead” initiative (PSF and NF)

Promotes a phase out of microbeads by industry. http://get.beatthemicrobead.org/

80 NGO’s from over 33 countries - App in 9 languages

59 industrial companies promised to phase out microplastics

Implementation: Phase out microbeads

Phase out of microbeads Drastic reduction/ban of single-use plastics Short-term: waste management, long-term:

upstream reduction ‘biodegradable’ will NOT decrease ML

internationally agreed definition of biodegradability (marine env.) harmonization and standardization of

methods Gaps/solutions for governance frameworks

Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics

First Massive Open Online Course on Marine Litter Leadership Track: 8 hours of learning consist of 2 blocks (4 hrs each) Expert Track: 32 additional hours consisting of 6 blocks (4 hrs each) 6500 registered students Ended January 2016 New in 2017 Spanish MOOC

Implementation: Capacity building

www.marinelittermooc.org

Development/implementation of marine litter action plans/nodes: Northwest Pacific, Wider Caribbean Region, Mediterranean Black Sea, Nigeria, Municipal: Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Panama,

Brazil; Technical input to the G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter.

Upcoming: Africa (Nairobi & Abidjan), Asia (SACEP and COBSEA)

Implementation: Action Plans & Study

Background

• The GPA hosted by UNEP - intergovernmental mechanism - ML 1/9 source categories.

• Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), Rio+20, June 2012

• Protect human health and the environment by the

reduction and management of ML

• Multi-stakeholder partnership ~ 100 partners, many networks

Implementation: Demo Waste minimization, Samoa

Global Waste Management Outlook (GWMO) September 2015 – related to GPWM

Stop uncontrolled

dumping and burning

Bring hazardous

wastes under control

Focus on waste

prevention

Focus on the

‘feedback loops’

Ensure access for all to basic waste services

Tackle the problem at the source

Deal with the hazardous substances in wastes

Close a clean material cycle

How to prevent? Bring wastes under control

Move from a linear to a circular economy

Emerging Issues - Microplastics Operational definition – particles < 5mm

Plastic resin beads, used in plastics manufacture (Ogata)

Beach sample of microplastics, Hawaii (NOAA Marine Debris Program)

Polyethylene microplastics extracted from shower gel (A. Bakir and RC Thompson)

Microfiber from synthetic garment (Mermaids Project) 1900 fibers/item 35.6 billion laundry loads in Europe alone

Tyre dust ? Atmospheric transportation?

Programme

13:15 - 13:25 Welcome remarks, Mr. Jo Hovik, Head of the Norwegian Delegation to the ICP -17 13:25 - 13: 40 “Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics – State of knowledge and priority areas for action”. Dr. Jenna Jambeck 13:35 - 13:50 “UNEA-2 outcomes and the way forward through the Global Partnership on Marine Litter”. Ms. Heidi Savelli, GPA, UNEP 13:50 - 14:30 Discussion involving experts, Closing remarks and summary of key points Mr. Elliott Harris, ASG and Director New York Liaison Office, UNEP