Plastik in der Umwelt – Conference Proceedings of the Status Conference

Publication: Conference Paper
Citation: Ecologic Institute (ed.) 2019: BMBF-Forschungsschwerpunkt Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze. Statuskonferenz, 09./10. April 2019, Kalkscheune, Berlin. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

The pollution caused by plastics in the environment is constantly growing and is receiving increasing public attention. The research focus "Plastics in the Environment" funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is designed to address the still insufficient state of knowledge.

The proceedings of the status conference briefly present the 20 joint research projects funded under the research focus. In addition, the work on the six cross-cutting topics of the research focus is explained. The six cross-cutting topics are:

Analytics and Reference Materials
Evaluation Methods of Possible Effects of Plastics on the Environment (incl. toxicity)
Terms and Definitions
Social and Political Dimension
Modelling, Data Management (incl. Life Cycle Assesment)
Recycling and Product Design

The conference proceedings, presenting the joint research projects and cross-cutting topics, are available for download.

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

Year 2024

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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

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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

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Doris Knoblauch

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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

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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.

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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!

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Support our participation in the global plastics negotiations!

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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

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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
Credits: Editorial Staff: Doris Knoblauch, Dr. Ulf Stein
Graphic Concept and Layout: Beáta Welk Vargová, Ruth Haake, Lena Aebli
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Year: 2019
Dimension: 34 pp.
Project: Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
Project ID: 2295
Table of contents: Click to show full table of contents

Einführung
Untersuchungsstandorte der Verbundprojekte

RUSEKU
SubμTrack
MikroPlaTaS
MicBin
PLAWES
MicroCatch_Balt

Querschnittsthema 1
Querschnittsthema 2
Querschnittsthema 3
Querschnittsthema 4
Querschnittsthema 5
Querschnittsthema 6

RAU
TextileMission
ENSURE
VerPlaPoS
Innoredux
PlastikBudget
MaReK
ResolVe
solvoPET
KuWert
REPLAWA
EmiStop
PLASTRAT
InRePlast

Impressum
Keywords: Coastal + Marine

Economics

Education

Events

Governance

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

research focus, limnic systems, green economy, consumption, recycling, plastics, microplastics, analytics, sea, ocean

Germany

Further Links

Website of the Research Focus Plastics in the Environment

EventConferencePlastics in the Environment – Status Conference

On 9 and 10 April 2019, the status conference of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) took place in the Kalkscheune in Berlin. The conference was organized by... Read more

Conference:Plastics in the Environment – Status Conference

Date: 9 - 10 April 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany

PublicationPosterPlastics in the Environment: Social Science Research – Poster Series

How is a topic such as microplastics socially problematised? How can consumers use plastics more sustainably? And what role do the interests and perceptions of different actors play in international plastics regulation? These and other questions are posed by social... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2019: Plastik in der Umwelt: Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung. Überblick über Forschungsgegenstände, Ergebnisarten und Zielgruppen der Projekte mit sozialwissenschaftlichem Anteil im BMBF-Forschungsschwerpunkt "Plastik in der Umwelt". PlastikNet Poster Series. Poster.

PublicationDocumentMicroplastics Analytics

Diskussionspapier

This discussion paper, edited by Ecologic Institute, presents the physicochemical investigation methods used in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment", in particular for the analysis of microplastics. Therefore, representatives of the joint research projects... Read more

Braun, Ulrike; Jekel, Martin; Gerdts, Gunnar; Ivleva, Natalia; Reiber, Jens (2018): Discussion Paper Microplastics Analytics. Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods. Discussion paper published in the course of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions". Berlin: Ecologic Institute.