Clean seas

During its international meeting in Dubai in mid-November, the plastics industry declared war on marine litter.
The plan of attack envisions achieving the objectives by the end of 2012 thanks to 100 projects to be implemented in 32 countries. A redoubtable arsenal is thus being deployed to undertake this ambitious goal: resolve the problem of marine litter once and for all.
Wilfried Haensel, Executive Director of PlasticsEurope, said the Dubai meeting was "a great step forward by these plastics industry representatives through committing to the global action plan for solutions on marine litter". Patrick Thomas, President of PlasticsEurope and CEO of Bayer Material Sciences added that, "The global plastics industry is determined to do its part and play a constructive role in building new partnerships to shape solutions to the issue of marine litter".
The "Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter" has been adopted by 54 plastics industry organizations so far. It outlines a six-point strategy for industry action, and advocates close cooperation with a broad range of stakeholders to shape solutions for the marine environment. Examples of initiatives involving the plastics industry include: Vacances Propres in France, Keep America Beautiful in the US, Cool Seas in the UK, and the International Coastal Cleanup in South Africa.