Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions

Doris Knoblauch; Melanie Kemper; Karl Lehmann

Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions

Publication: Video
Citation: Ecologic Institute 2021: Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions. Video. Online: https://youtu.be/HlPZ8AMq448

Plastic waste, plastic parts and microplastics can be found everywhere in the environment. Plastic particles are also detected in living organisms. But what exactly is the situation? To find out, the German Ministry of Research is funding the research priority "Plastics in the Environment" with around 40 million euros. Some of the results of the 20 funded research projects are presented in this video. Further results of the research projects as well as information on the activities of the research focus are available on the website.

Ecologic Institute took over the concept as well as the production of the video, which was shown during the German Week of the Environment in 2021.

Contact

Doris Knoblauch

Co-Coordinator Plastics

Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance

Senior Fellow

Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty

Year 2024

Publication:Policy Brief

Amidst intense global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty highlights the critical role of reducing primary plastic polymers. The Scientists' Coalition, consisting of leading scientists worldwide, argues in its latest policy brief that without a significant reduction in the production of these polymers, the effective fight against plastic pollution is not possible. The urgent call aims to draw attention to the need to break the plastic cycle at its source - the production of primary plastic polymers. This approach is crucial as it directly reduces the amount of plastics that end up in our environment.

Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

On 13 March 2024, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" highlighting the need for a global plastics treaty at a postgraduate course, where 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on why plastic pollution is a problem and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

Plastics & the Environment – Why We Need a Plastics Treaty

13 March 2024
Doris Knoblauch

News

Doris Knoblauch was an observer at the negotiations in Nairobi during the week and, as part of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (Scientist's Coalition for short), provided various negotiating delegations with scientific information. The Scientist's Coalition is an independent network of scientists around the world who conduct research on plastics, chemicals, and health, covering various disciplines and aspects. A team was on site to answer open questions quickly, scientifically and independently.

UN Negotiations on a Potential Plastics Agreement were Stuck in Nairobi

A long way to go

13 - 19 November 2023

Publication:Article

Plastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

Letter in Science

Year 2023

Publication:Article

This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year 2023

News

Photo, taken during the plastic negotiations. Text "Help us to empower the independent voice of science by supporting our involvement in the plastics treaty negotiations" and a donation button

Ecologic Institute is a UN-accredited voice for a global plastics agreement. But we lack funding for the next decisive round of negotiations in Busan (South Korea) in November 2024. By participating, we are contributing to counteracting lobbying and enabling delegates to be properly informed. In Ottawa, we are currently providing specialist information on the effects of plastic production and consumption. Your donation will enable us to strengthen independent science and continue this important work!

Strengthen the Independent Voice of Science

Support our participation in the global plastics negotiations!

22 April 2024

News

After the euphoria had been dampened at the beginning of the negotiation week in Paris, there was a good result in the end: The Chair H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez and the INC Secretariat were given a mandate to present a first draft ("zero draft") in the run-up to the next negotiations. This is an important next step. Doris Knoblauch accompanied the INC-2 negotiations in Paris for Ecologic Institute.

Why the Negotiations on the UN Plastics Agreement in Paris were a Success

An important step

29 May - 2 June 2023

Publication:Book

For many people, plastic bottles have become an indispensable part of everyday life. However, the production and throwing away of plastic bottles is harmful to the environment and the climate. Ideally, PET bottles are recycled and reused. But what happens to the bottles during the recycling process? "Die Geisterstunde" by Christian Tielmann is the third PIXI book produced as part of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment" with Stiftung Lesen and Carlsen Verlag and is dedicated to the recycling of plastic bottles.

Die Geisterstunde

Year 2023

Language

German

Authorship

Doris Knoblauch

Melanie Kemper

Karl Lehmann

Credits

Concept: Karl Lehmann, Melanie Kemper, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute)

Production: Lena Aebli (Ecologic Institute)

Funding

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

Published by

Ecologic Institute, Germany

Year

2021

Dimension

2 min

Project

Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)

Project ID

Keywords

plastic, microplastics, environment, BMBF, Plastik in der Umwelt

Further Links

Plastic in the Environment

Video "Plastics in the Environment"

EventSummer SchoolPlastics in the Environment – PhD-WinterSchool

From 10 to 14 February 2020, the five-day PhD-WinterSchool "Plastics in the Environment" of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources ● Sinks ● Solutions" took place in Döllnsee, Brandenburg. The aim of the WinterSchool... Read more

Summer School:Plastics in the Environment – PhD-WinterSchool

Date: 10 - 14 February 2020
Location: Döllnsee-Schorfheide, Germany

EventConferenceMicroplastics in the Water Cycle (MiWA) – Final conference

On 10 September 2019, the final conference of the project "Mikroplastik im Wasserkreislauf" (Microplastics in the Water Cycle, MaWi for short) took place in Karlsruhe. The project results were presented and discussed at the event. A poster exhibition was also... Read more

Conference:Microplastics in the Water Cycle (MiWA) – Final conference

Date: 10 September 2019
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany

EventWorkshopPlastic Regulation – Who is responsible?

There are numerous regulatory approaches for handling plastic products and plastic waste in various areas such as waste and recycling policy, marine protection or chemicals policy. During the workshop, Linda Mederake gave an insight into existing plastic regulations and... Read more

Workshop:Plastic Regulation – Who is responsible?

Date: 7 September 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany

EventWorkshopPlastic Pirates – The Sea Starts Here!

Due to the success of the citizen science campaign "Plastic Pirates" in the years 2016, 2017 and 2018, the youth campaign has been extended again as part of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment", which is funded by the German Federal... Read more

Workshop:Plastic Pirates – The Sea Starts Here!

Date: 1 May - 30 June 2019
Location: , Germany

ProjectPlastic Pirates – Go Europe!

A torn plastic bag on the riverbank or a yoghurt cup floating in the water are symptoms of serious interference with the highly complex system of seas, the ocean and flowing waterways. The Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! project focuses on this plastic waste problem and... Read more

Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!

Duration: Apr 2020 - May 2023
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

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