Marine Litter Solutions - Global Declaration

Role: Association Representative, Chair of the Tech Group, Global Action Team member, EU programme manager
Employer: PlasticsEurope
Period: 2013 - 2017

Six Objectives. One Mission: Cleaner Oceans.
Since 2011, a total of 69 world plastics organizations in 35 countries have signed the Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter. By pledging the declaration, each of these countries voluntarily committed to adopt additional improvements to reduce the effects of ocean pollution.

Building on previous efforts in individual regions, the world plastics organizations that signed the “Joint Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter” have agreed to focus projects to address marine litter on these six key objectives:
  1. Raising Awareness (e.g. Marlisco, Let's Clean Up Europe)
  2. Research for Facts (e.g. Bioclean)
  3. Promoting Best Policies (e.g. Marlisco)
  4. Spreading Knowledge (e.g. PolyTalk 2016)
  5. Enhanced Recovery
  6. Preventing Pellet Losses (e.g. Operation Clean Sweep)

My Role:
As member of the so called Global Action Team, chair of its Tech Group and as support of the steering group I was involved as much in implementing, overseeing and reporting of our own (PlasticsEurope) EU projects as in supporting the team to monitor and reflect on latest science publications and in improving the joint strategy and general portfolio categories during the annual global meetings. I also represented the Global Declaration at various events and working groups towards policy, UN/FAO/IMO, science and NGOs in EU28.

I gained a great insights into global cultural diversity across all stakeholder groups and how to move, motivate and negotiate an agenda forward in a multicultural and political environment.
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The 27th Global Meeting on Plastics and Sustainability in Hanoi, Vietnam.