Countries negotiating an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, adjourned their fifth session.

About 20 thousand tons of plastic flowed in the river per year. Solely this river contributed 2% of the total plastics in the oceans.

How the Hong Kong Convention will ensure safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships at the end of their operational lives

Parliament and Council negotiators reached an informal deal to extend an existing ban on discharge of oil spills by ships to include sewage and garbage.

In challenging times, multilateral cooperation is more important than ever. This applies both to geopolitical issues and to protecting the natural foundations of our lives.

With the focus of the resources and waste sector very much on protecting the environment and delivering on decarbonisation, the broader impacts and the benefits these bring to society are often overlooked or underplayed.

Personal protective equipment (PPE), e.g. the face covering to avoid the COVID-19, is spread in public and private spaces. Since the pandemics, the amount of PPE production has increased, likewise the amount disposed in the environment, especially in the ocean and the communities around.

We are living in the ‘plasticene’ era. Marine plastic pollution is a global problem, and increasing effort and funds are being invested towards identifying and implementing solutions.

WtERT wants to show solidarity with the Fridays for Future movement, but also with statements from Scientists for Future and engage in a global crowd sourcing campaign framing a response of the municipal solid waste (MSW) community to Climate Change.

On 15 and 16 June, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete and Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella will attend the G20 Energy and Environment Ministerial meeting, which takes place in Karuizawa, Japan. The first ever G20 ministerial meeting on environment-related topics will focus on how to respond together to global challenges of marine plastic litter, climate change, energy efficiency improvements, further deployment of renewables and the role of finance in fostering the transition to clean energy technologies.

We are delighted to report that we have had another successful year in the UK and would like to share with you a few selected updates. Prof. Cheeseman of Imperial College London (Chair) and Dr. Velis of University of Leeds (Vice Chair) discuss developments in the UK sector, which include an exciting brand new policy of the Environment Agency of U.K.: The “Resources and waste strategy” was released in December 2018, covering many emerging challenges for mature solid waste management and resource recovery systems, such as tackling littering, marine litter, reducing food waste and delivering a more curricular economy for plastics.

Pollution of the marine environment due to plastic materials is one of the most severe environmental problems humanity has to face in the 21st century.

Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean whose economy is largely dependent on coastal tourism. It boasts some of the cleanest waters in Europe and has the largest number of Blue Flag awarded beaches per capita in the world.

Why is the Commission proposing a new Directive to tackle marine litter? - More than 80% of marine litter is plastics. The European Commission is proposing new EU-wide rules that target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear. These products are the biggest part of the problem. Together they constitute 70% of all marine litter items.

Learn how eight million metric tonnes of plastic are entering our ocean every year and the potential solutions coming out of China. A five-part audio documentary that takes you through the ins and outs of plastic waste treatment globally and in China. It's an illuminating look at how the Middle Kingdom is closing its doors on imported plastic waste, and turning its back on industrial pollution in favor of building an 'ecological civilization.'

There have been many videos on the net regarding the horrific floating "garbage patches" on the oceans. Prof. Nickolas Themelis commented on this project in Facebook...

Waste to Energy Research and Technology Council (WTERT)–India co-founded with the Memorandum of Understanding between CSIR - National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Earth Engineering Centre (EEC) of Columbia University, New York, has been working in the field of Solid Waste Management & brings out solutions and understanding of the current challenges in sustainable waste management through conferences and workshops since the inception of WTERT-India in 2011.

Cities along the Adriatic coastline of Croatia boast a sizable and fast growing tourism industry that is one of the key pillars of the country’s economy. However, the practice of discharging untreated sewage directly into the Adriatic Sea resulted in serious threats of environmental degradation of coastal waters, in addition to constraining tourism-based economic development. From the project’s start in 2009 to the project closure in 2015, the Coastal Cities Pollution Control Project 2 (CCPCP) supported the elimination of untreated wastewater discharge, piloted innovative wastewater treatment solutions, engaged in institutional strengthening, and improved seawater quality monitoring in the coastal area.

The world today committed to a pollution-free planet at the close of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, with resolutions and pledges promising to improve the lives of billions across the globe by cleaning up our air, land and water.

The G20 recognizes the urgent need for action to prevent and reduce marine litter in order to preserve human health and marine and coastal ecosystems, and mitigate marine litter’s economic costs and impacts. We stress the direct relationship between the challenge of marine litter, environment, human health, economic development, social well-being, biodiversity and food security.

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is the European Commission's flagship initiative for the protection of the European Seas, and the first holistic approach to ensuring that European Seas reach and are maintained at what is called a ‘Good Environmental Status’ by the year 2020.

Rivers annually emit between 1.15 and 2.41 million metric tons of plastic to the oceans.