Plastics

Plastics

Plastics in the environment have become a global problem. To solve it, different actors such as product designers, producers, converters, retailers, consumers, recyclers, and disposal companies throughout the value chain need to work together. This calls for interdisciplinary research. Ecologic Institute is exploring various aspects of this issue, such as freshwater and marine environments, soil, recycling, water management, legal requirements, and the regulation of macro- and microplastics. Our team members have expertise on international and European plastics regulation as well as various related policy fields, such as ecotoxicology, microplastics analytics, water treatment, and recycling issues. This allows them to analyze which regulations are still missing and to provide recommendations with a view to strengthening the patchy regulatory framework for the production, use, and disposal of plastics. Ecologic Institute is also represented in fora  such as the German roundtable on marine litter. Furthermore, it strengthens civic engagement via citizen science projects which involve members of the public in research.

Contact

Doris Knoblauch
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance
Senior Fellow

Related Topics

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Land Use

Climate

Plastics

Arctic

Trade

Governance

Dr. Ralph Bodle, LLM
Senior Fellow

Cities

Plastics

International Development

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Evaluation

Education

Governance

Doris Knoblauch
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Coordinator Urban & Spatial Governance
Senior Fellow

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Cities

Education

Plastics

Susanne Langsdorf
Coordinator Resource Conservation & Circular Economy
Senior Fellow

Cities

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Climate

Education

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Linda Mederake
Co-Coordinator Plastics
Fellow

Environmental Law – Ecologic Legal

Energy

Climate

Digitalization

Education

Plastics

Dr. Stephan Sina
Senior Fellow
Coordinating In-house Counsel
Selected Projects for Plastics
ProjectNetworking and Knowledge Transfer Project of the Funding Programme "Resource-efficient circular economy – circular textiles" (ZirTeNet)
 

© ZirTeNet Project 2024

With ZirTeNet, Ecologic Institute supports the networking and coordination of sixteen research and innovation projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the programme "Resource-efficient circular economy – circular textiles"... Read more

Networking and Knowledge Transfer Project of the Funding Programme "Resource-efficient circular economy – circular textiles" (ZirTeNet)

Duration
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Funding
ProjectTechnological Options for Reducing Plastic Waste in the Oceans
 

©pexels

Problem StatementAn estimated 19 to 23 million tons of plastic waste enter aquatic ecosystems annually. Plastic decomposes very slowly and can persist in water for decades or even centuries. It breaks down into small particles, known as nano- and microplastics, which... Read more

Technological Options for Reducing Plastic Waste in the Oceans

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectThe Plastic Pirates Go to the Danube
 

Ivan Radic, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Plastic Pirates start a new small project in the autumn of 2024. The new focus this time: the river system of the Danube! The second-longest river of Europe, stretching over 2.850 kilometers, starts in the Black Forrest, and flows through a total of 10 countries... Read more

The Plastic Pirates Go to the Danube

Duration
-
Funding
German Aerospace Center, DLR Bonn (DLR), Germany
ProjectScientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
 
| Fotolia © Christian Schulz
In the framework of the scientific accompanying research (PlastikNet) of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze) Ecologic Institute coordinated 20 joint research projects,... Read more

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

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectMicroplastics in Soils – International Conference
 

© iamporpla | iStockphoto.com

Research has shown that soils are a major sink for microplastics. The international conference provides an opportunity to learn and exchange knowledge on the topic of microplastics in soils and is aimed at scientists and decision-makers alike. The first day of the event... Read more

Microplastics in Soils – International Conference

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectAsia's Opportunity to End Single-use Plastic Pollution
 

© PhotoDreamWorldArt | pixabay.com

No other plastic usage represents the problem of plastic pollution as much as single-use plastics (SUPs) do. They are the most common type of plastics produced, and, at the same time, the most littered in the environment. SUP consumption is booming worldwide, with Asia... Read more

Asia's Opportunity to End Single-use Plastic Pollution

Duration
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Funding
ProjectAdvising the EU's International Outreach on the Content of the Mandate for an International Negotiating Committee for a Potential Global Plastics Agreement
 

Plastic Litter at Koh Ta Kiev, Cambodia

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CC0

At the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), planned for the end of February 2022, one or more Resolutions will be tabled calling for the creation of an International Negotiating Committee to discuss content of a potential Global Plastics Agreement. Discussions of... Read more

Advising the EU's International Outreach on the Content of the Mandate for an International Negotiating Committee for a Potential Global Plastics Agreement

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectAnalysis and Evaluation of Certification Systems for Recycled Plastics
 

Bild von Michael Frings auf Pixabay und OpenClipart-Vectors auf Pixabay

Due to the growing urgency of conserving resources and minimising environmental impact, the issue of recycling substances and materials has increasingly become the focus of environmental and resource protection. In particular, the recycling of plastics and the use of... Read more

Analysis and Evaluation of Certification Systems for Recycled Plastics

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectA Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution – Perspectives from Asia
 

Richard Whitcombe | Fotolia.com

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues. Calls for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution have increased over the last years, discussions will continue at the next sessions of the UN Environment Assembly in February 2022. After... Read more

A Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution – Perspectives from Asia

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectExtended Producer Responsibility and Ecomodulation of Fees
 

Photo by mali maeder on Pexels

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an environmental policy instrument, which places the responsibility for managing the product’s end-of-life on the producer. Producers pay EPR fees based on quantities of packaging or products (e.g. electric and electronic... Read more

Extended Producer Responsibility and Ecomodulation of Fees

Duration
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Funding
ProjectScientific Support of the Non-fiction Youth Book "Plastik, Müll und Ich"
 
© Billion Photos|Shutterstock.com
Ecologic Institute is providing scientific support to the non-fiction youth book Plastik, Müll und Ich being written by children and youth author Gesine Grotrian. The book is aimed at answering the questions that young people have about plastics. It is published by... Read more

Scientific Support of the Non-fiction Youth Book "Plastik, Müll und Ich"

Duration
-
Funding
ProjectSustainable Management of Natural Resources in EU International Development Aid
 
Ecologic Institute participates in a Framework Contract for Europeaid (2018-2020) for "Sustainable management of Natural Resources and Resilience" in the implementation of external aid. The aim of the Framework Contract is to support and advise European Commission... Read more

Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in EU International Development Aid

Duration
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Funding
All projects on Plastics
Selected Publications for Plastics
PublicationArticleAn Effective Plastic Treaty for Marine Life
 

Infographic: Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Knoblauch, Doris; Aliani, Stefano (2025): An effective plastics treaty for marine life, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 970, 2025, 178941, ISSN 0048-9697, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178941.

Plastic pollution has become a severe global crisis, posing grave threats to the environment, human health, and sustainable development. Driven by unchecked plastic production, the problem worsens through the entire lifecycle of plastics—from creation to disposal... Read more

Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Knoblauch, Doris; Aliani, Stefano (2025): An effective plastics treaty for marine life, Science of The Total Environment, Volume 970, 2025, 178941, ISSN 0048-9697, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178941.

PublicationArticleTemporal Variability of Litter Pollution of Rivers in Germany
 
Cover of a research article from the Marine Pollution Bulletin. The title reads "Temporal variability of litter pollution of rivers in Germany – A long-term assessment by schoolchildren as citizen scientists." The article lists multiple authors and affiliations, and the abstract discusses the study's findings on river litter dynamics. Visible sections include the abstract and the introduction.

© 2024 Elsevier 

Understanding litter dynamics on riversides is challenging due to the need for extensive data. A seven-year citizen science study with schoolchildren showed no major changes in litter density, composition, and sources on German riversides. The study, to which Mandy... Read more

Dittmann, Sinja et al. (2024). Temporal variability of litter pollution of rivers in Germany – A long-term assessment by schoolchildren as citizen scientists, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Volume 209, Part B, December 2024, 117253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.117253

PublicationArticleThe Missing Consensus: An analysis of problem definitions and key motivations in the first zero draft for a global plastics treaty
 
Cover of a publication from 'Cambridge Prisms' titled 'Plastics.' The cover features a gradient background transitioning from deep red to blue, with white lines cutting across the lower half. The title 'Plastics' is displayed in simple white text.

© Cambridge University Press 2024

Plastic pollution has rapidly emerged as one of the defining environmental crises of our time, with far-reaching impacts that span ecosystems, human health, and climate change. As international efforts to combat this growing challenge intensify, the proposed global... Read more

Knoblauch D and Mederake L (2024). The missing consensus: An analysis of problem definitions and key motivations in the first zero draft for a global plastics treaty. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, 2, e22, 1–12 https://doi.org/10.1017/plc.2024.29

PublicationPolicy BriefTowards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty
 
Document page titled 'Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for the Global Plastics Treaty'. The page discusses the complexity of plastic pollution and the necessity for a dedicated Science Policy Interface (SPI) to complement and inform the Global Plastics Treaty, stressing the importance of independent scientific input and a focus on interventions across the entire life cycle of plastics.

© Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty 2024

In the context of the negotiations of a Global Plastics Treaty, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty emphasizes in this policy brief the crucial importance of an effective Science-Policy Interface (SPI) for the successful implementation of the... Read more

Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (2024). Policy Brief: Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for the Global Plastics Treaty. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10996298

PublicationPolicy BriefPrimary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction
 
Policy brief titled 'Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction' with a logo of the Scientists' Coalition in the top right. Text discusses the urgency of reducing primary plastic polymer production, predicting at least 20,000 million metric tons by 2040. A graph shows cumulative plastic production from 1950 to 2040, highlighting significant increases even with a proposed reduction rate of 2.35% annually.

© Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty 2024

As the international community seeks to negotiate a global plastics agreement, the stakes are high. An internationally binding instrument is to be developed that will end plastic pollution by covering the entire life cycle of plastics from production to disposal. With... Read more

Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (2024). Primary Plastic Polymers: urgently needed Upstream Reduction. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10906376

PublicationArticleWhat Potential Does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive Have for Reducing Plastic Pollution at Coastlines and Riversides?
 
Hinzmann Mederake EU single use plastics directive article

© 2023 Elsevier

To address plastic pollution, the European Union adopted the so called "Single-Use Plastics Directive" (SUPD), which bans several single-use plastic products and introduces measures such as extended producer responsibility and obligatory requirements for product... Read more

Kiessling, Tim et al. 2023: What potential does the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive have for reducing plastic pollution at coastlines and riversides? An evaluation based on citizen science data. Waste Management 164 (2023).106-118.

PublicationArticlePlastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems
 

© Ina Krüger

In this letter in Science, a group of scientists working on biodiversity and plastics – among them Doris Knoblauch from Ecologic Institute – argue that the future plastics treaty text must center ecosystems. This is because both, ecosystems and biodiversity have not... Read more

Tessnow-von Wysocki, Ina; Wang, Mengjiao; Morales-Caselles, Carmen; Woodall, Lucy C.; Syberg, Kristian; Carney Almroth, Bethanie; Fernandez, Marina; Monclús, Laura; P. Wilson, Scott; Warren, Matt; Knoblauch, Doris; Helm, Rebecca R. (2023):  Plastics treaty text must center ecosystems, Science, 2 Nov 2023, Vol 382, Issue 6670, pp. 525-526.

Plastics regulation

PublicationReportGlobal Rules in a New Global Treaty: Asia's opportunity to end single-use plastic pollution
 
Report Cover "Global Rules in a New Global Treaty"

© WWF Philippines

In March 2022, at the resumed fifth meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly, UN Member States adopted the historic decision to start negotiating a global treaty to combat plastic pollution. As national delegations and relevant stakeholders in Asia start... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Knoblauch, Doris (2022): Global rules in a new global treaty: Asia's opportunity to end single-use plastic pollution. Published in July 2022 by WWF Philippines.

PublicationArticleVerhandlungen zu einem globalen Plastikabkommen – Zeit Verantwortung zu übernehmen
 
screenshot first page
© 2022 Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft
^
Preparations are currently underway for negotiations on a global plastics treaty. The treaty is intended to respond to the increasing plastic pollution, especially of the oceans, which requires international cooperation along the value chain and thus binding rules at... Read more

Stockhaus, Heidi 2022: Verhandlungen zu einem globalen Plastikabkommen – Zeit Verantwortung zu übernehmen. Zeitschrift für Umweltrecht (ZUR), 2022, No. 7-8, 385-386.

PublicationReportEU Single-Use Plastics Directive
 
Cover of the final report "EU Single-Use Plastics Directive - analysis of provisions and potential measures regarding extended producer responsibility"

© German Environment Agency

Combating plastic litter on land and in water is one of the major challenges of global environmental protection. As part of its plastics strategy, the EU adopted Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (SUP... Read more

Altvater, Susanne, Stephan Sina, Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers et al. 2022: EU Single-Use Plastics Directive – analysis of provisions and potential measures regarding extended producer responsibility. Final Report. Climate Change 42/2022. Federal Environment Agency: Dessau-Roßlau.

PublicationReportA Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution
 
Report cover with image of fish, title, and logos of participating institutions

© WWF

This research report studies the Asian perspectives on a global plastic pollution treaty against the background of a growing momentum for the establishment of a negotiation process during the second part of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) in... Read more

Stockhaus, H; Sachdeva, A; Sina, S; Bolopion, E; Mislang, G; Espenilla, J; Guiao, C.T.; Sulistiawati, L.Y.; Popattanachai, N. 2021. A New Treaty on Plastic Pollution – Perspectives from Asia. Published in October 2021 by WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (Singapore) Limited (WWF-Singapore).

PublicationArticleGovernment Policies Combatting Plastic Pollution
 
graphic government policies combatting plastic pollution

© Ecologic Institute

In this review, Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch and Linda Mederake analyse the subject focus of 45 articles (published 2019–2021), dealing with government action to regulate plastic pollution. Policies described in the articles and introduced between 2016 and 2021... Read more

Knoblauch, D.; Mederake, L. (2021): Government policies combatting plastic pollution, Current Opinion in Toxicology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cotox.2021.10.003.

PublicationArticleMehr Kohärenz bitte!
 
This article (written in German) examines various policies and approaches that are currently being implemented or planned as solutions to the plastics crisis. It becomes clear that in national and international policies plastics are mainly described as a problem of... Read more

Mederake, L., Araujo Sosa, A. und Hirschnitz-Garbers, M. (2020): Mehr Kohärenz bitte! Plastikpolitik in Deutschland, Europa und weltweit. Politische Ökologie, Band 161, 76-82.

PublicationPolicy BriefA Treaty on Plastic Waste
 
The discussion paper presents the rationale for a new treaty on tackling plastic waste and highlights its possible added value. The objective would be to reduce marine plastic litter through a comprehensive approach that also includes land-based sources, a life cycle... Read more

Bodle, Ralph; Sina, Stephan (2019), "A treaty on plastic waste. Discussion paper for the international round-table on Tackling global plastic pollution – Ways towards an international convention", Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationArticleRegulation: Solutions at the Wrong End.
 
Cover Plastic Atlas 2019

Heinrich Boell Foundation

There are numerous regulatory approaches at international, regional and national level regarding the handling of plastic products and plastic waste. What they all have in common is their limited effectiveness. In their contribution, Linda Mederake, Stephan Gürtler and... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Gürtler, Stephan; Knoblauch, Doris (2019): Regulation: Solutions at the Wrong End. In: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung und BUND – Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (Eds.): Plastic Atlas 2019. Facts and figures about the world of synthetic polymers. Berlin.

PublicationArticleShaping EU Plastic Policies
 
Anzahl von Pro-Argumenten für die Plastikregulierung nach Sub-Kategorien
This article by Ecologic Institute's Linda Mederake and Doris Knoblauch uses a structuring qualitative content analysis to investigate the parliamentary debates of two recently adopted plastic policies in the EU – namely the EU Plastics Strategy and the Single-Use... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Knoblauch, Doris (2019): Shaping EU Plastic Policies: The Role of Public Health vs. Environmental Arguments. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 3928.

PublicationReportNo More Plastics in the Ocean
 
Marine plastic pollution is a fast growing problem and it is not yet possible to estimate how severe the impacts currently are. Between 4.8 and 12.7 Mt of plastics ends up in the ocean each year, adding to the uncontrolled plastic waste already floating around the world... Read more

Simon, Nils et al. (2018): No More Plastics in the Ocean. Gaps in Global Plastic Governance and Options for a Legally Binding Agreement to Eliminate Marine Plastic Pollution. Draft report for WWF to support discussions at the Ad Hoc Open-ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics. Berlin: adelphi.

Publications within the BMBF Research Focus Plastics in the Environment

PublicationBrochureKey Messages of the BMBF-Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources· Sinks · Solutions"
 
Cover Key Messages

© Ecologic Institute

The publication summarizes the key messages from all 20 joint research projects and the seven cross-cutting topics of the research focus. Structured along the following ten main topics, the central results are presented in order to derive recommendations for various... Read more

Hinzmann, Mandy; Knoblauch, Doris; Mederake, Linda; Schritt, Hannes; Stein, Ulf (eds.) (2022): Key messages of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment".

PublicationBrochureKey Messages of the BMBF Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment"
 
Cover of the publication "Key Messages of the BMBF-Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources· Sinks · Solutions". Short version"

© Ecologic Institute

This brochure is the short version of the publication Key Messages of the BMBF Research Focus "Plastics in the Environment". It summarizes the most important key messages from all 20 joint research projects and the seven cross-cutting topics of the research focus. The... Read more

Research focus "Plastics in the Environment" (2022): Key messages of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment". Short version.

PublicationBrochureCompendium Plastics in the Environment
 
Cover "Compendium on Plastics in the Environment

© Ecologic Institute

This compendium, published by Ecologic Institute, aims to sharpen relevant terms and thereby aims to contribute to the heterogeneity of the scientific community on "plastics in the environment". In addition, the brochure is intended to help ensure that communication... Read more

J. Bertling*, C. G. Bannick, L. Barkmann, U. Braun, D. Knoblauch, C. Kraas, L. Mederake, F. Nosić, B. Philipp, M. Rabe, I. Sartorius, H. Schritt, U. Stein, K. Wencki, K. Wendt-Potthoff, J. Woidasky (2022): Compendium on Plastics in the Environment, 1st edition 2022. https://doi.org/10.24406/umsicht-n-647637

*Corresponding author

PublicationArticleWege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen
 
article's first page

© oekom verlag

The emission of plastics into the environment is growing worldwide. Since existing regulations are not sufficient to curb the problem, the ever-increasing plastic production and use must be reduced overall. A systemic approach is needed that holds all actors responsible... Read more

Beyerl, Katharina; Bogner, Franz; Daskalakis, Maria; Decker, Thomas; Hentschel, Anja; Hinzmann, Mandy; Loges, Bastian; Knoblauch, Doris; Mederake, Linda; Müller,, Ruth; Rubik, Frieder; Schweiger, Stefan; Stieß, Immanuel (2022): Wege zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit Kunststoffen: Kernbotschaften sozialwissenschaftlicher Forschung. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 31(1), 51-53.

PublicationInfographicAre Microplastics Harmful?
 
Graphical illustration of potential impacts of microplastics in the environment.

Are microplastics harmful? The ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in the environment is a complex task

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© Ecologic Institute 2022, CC-BY 4.0

Whether or not microplastics have harmful effects on plants and animals has not yet been conclusively established. The different properties of microplastics determine whether and how the microplastics are absorbed by living organisms and whether they are harmful to them... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2022): Plastics in the Environment. Are microplastics harmful? Infographic CC-BY 4.0. Online: https://bmbf-plastik.de/en/publication/are-microplastics-harmful

PublicationFact SheetPlastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet) – Fact sheet series
 

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In the framework of the scientific accompanying research (PlastikNet) of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze) Ecologic Institute coordinates 20 joint research projects,... Read more

Fact sheet series of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions", 2021-2022.

PublicationConference PaperPlastik in der Umwelt – Conference Proceedings of the Final Conference
 
Cover conference proceedings Plastik in der Umwelt

© Ecologic Institute

Plastic pollution in the environment is a global problem with unforeseeable ecological consequences. Despite numerous activities and approaches, there are only a few reliable findings on the input and distribution pathways and the effects on humans and animals. In order... Read more

Ecologic Institute (ed.) 2021: BMBF-Forschungsschwerpunkt Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze. Abschlusskonferenz des Forschungsschwerpunkts "Plastik in der Umwelt" am 20./21. April 2021. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

PublicationDocumentStatus Report Analysis of Microplastics
 
First page of report with title

Ecologic Institute

This status report was prepared within the framework of the cross-cutting issue 1 "Analytics and reference materials" of the research focus Plastics in the Environment. It summarizes the contents of the project discussions and coordination within the cross-cutting issue... Read more

Braun, Ulrike & Stein, Ulf & Schritt, Hannes & Altmann, Korinna & Bannick, Claus Gerhard & Becker, Roland & Bitter, Hajo & Bochow, Mathias & Dierkes, Georg & Enders, Kristina et al. (2021): Analysis of Microplastics. Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods. Status Report within the framework program Plastics in the Environment.

PublicationWebsitePlastic in the Environment
 
Projektwebsite: Plastik in der Umwelt
The Ecologic Institute designed and developed the bilingual project website "Plastic in the Environment". It contains an interactive map, which gives an overview of all funded projects. Furthermore the website provides detailed information on the projects and related... Read more

Ecologic Institut (2018): Plastic in the Environment. URL: www.bmbf-plastik.de/en

All publications on Plastics
Selected Events for Plastics
EventDigital EventFrom Packaging to Microplastics: Unwrapping EU and international plastics policy
 
plastic

Ecologic Institute

According to the European Commission, almost 26 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually in the EU.* And since we learned how to produce plastic, humans have manufactured more than 8.3 billion tonnes of it – most of which ended up as a waste product... Read more

Digital Event:From Packaging to Microplastics: Unwrapping EU and international plastics policy

Date
Location
online
EventDigital EventReusable Transport Packaging
 

© Stiftung Initiative Mehrweg/WBG-Pooling

For the transport of goods from the factory or a warehouse to retailers or wholesalers, disposable packaging is the norm, which becomes waste after one single use. Reusable systems provide an alternative to this waste of resources. While reusable transport packaging is... Read more

Digital Event:Reusable Transport Packaging

Date
Location
online via Zoom
EventConferenceMicroplastics in Soils
 

© iamporpla | iStockphoto.com

The international conference provided an opportunity to learn and exchange knowledge on the topic of microplastics in soils, and was aimed at scientists and decision-makers alike. The first day of the event focused on the state of the science, the second day on... Read more

Conference:Microplastics in Soils

Date
-
Location
online, Berlin, Germany
EventWorkshopPlastic Pirates – Go Europe!
 
© BMBF/Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!
The campaign in spring 2022 was a huge success: more than 3,000 young people carried out sampling in and along German rivers and mapped litter findings. They collected extensive data on water pollution at 173 locations. Now the time has come again: from 15 September to... Read more

Workshop:Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!

Date
-
Location
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain
EventConferenceTheme Day: Plastic in the Environment
 
Theme day: Plastics in the environment

Ecologic Institute

Can microplastics get into the water, when I wash a fleece jacket made of polyester? How many climate-damaging greenhouse gases are emitted by the production of plastic? What is chemical recycling? Together with numerous researchers from all over Germany, we got to the... Read more

Conference:Theme Day: Plastic in the Environment

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
EventConferencePlastic in the Environment – Final Conference of the BMBF Research Programme
 

© BMBF

Plastic in the environment is a topic of immense significance, which has only grown in relevance since the Coronavirus pandemic. Water pollution (oceans, rivers, lakes, ground water) and plastic/microplastics in the environment are among the top environmental... Read more

Conference:Plastic in the Environment – Final Conference of the BMBF Research Programme

Date
-
Location
online
All events on Plastics
Selected Presentations for Plastics
PresentationLecturePlastics and Their Global Impact: Why the World Needs a Binding Agreement
 

© Ecologic Institute, 2025

On 17 March 2025, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a presentation on "Plastics and the Environment", highlighting the negative impacts of plastics and plastic pollution at a post-graduate course attended by 21 experts from ministries, authorities,... Read more

Lecture:Plastics and Their Global Impact: Why the World Needs a Binding Agreement

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
PresentationPanel discussionOn the Way to a UN Plastics Agreement
 

Giant Plastic Tap by Canadian artist and activist Benjamin Von Wong in front of the event building of the Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) in Ottawa 2024

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© Linda Mederake, 2024

On 21 January 2025, the United Nations Association of Germany (DGVN) hosted a panel discussion to discuss the next steps in the global plastics negotiations. The fifth round of negotiations in November 2024 ended without an agreement – a failure? Doris Knoblauch,... Read more

Panel discussion:On the Way to a UN Plastics Agreement

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
PresentationSpeechCommunication is Key – Best practises from seven years of engaging schoolchildren in plastic pollution research
 

© Ecologic Institute 2024

On 4 April 2024, Mandy Hinzmann presented communication insights and best practices of the citizen science program "Plastic Pirates" at the European Citizen Science Conference in Vienna. The presentation highlighted that effective communication strategies are crucial... Read more

Speech:Communication is Key – Best practises from seven years of engaging schoolchildren in plastic pollution research

Date
Location
Vienna, Austria
PresentationLecturePlastics, Green Urban Environments and Local Climate Protection
 

© Ecologic Institute

On 16 October 2023, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics, green urban environments and local climate protection" at a postgraduate course, where 19 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and... Read more

Lecture:Plastics, Green Urban Environments and Local Climate Protection

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany
PresentationLecturePlastics & The Environment – Responsibilities and Implications Between North and South
 
Title Slide Presentation

Ecologic Institute

On 29 March 2023, Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann, both from Ecologic Institute, gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" at a postgraduate course, where 19 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from... Read more

Lecture:Plastics & The Environment – Responsibilities and Implications Between North and South

Date
Location
PresentationInterviewWe Use Citizen Science to Contribute to Planetary Health
 

Foto: BMBF / Gesine Born

In the citizen science project Plastic Pirates, children and teenagers become citizen scientists. In an interview with "Bürger schaffen Wissen", the central platform for citizen science in Germany, Linda Mederake (Ecologic Institute) and Tim Kiessling (Kiel Science... Read more

Interview:We Use Citizen Science to Contribute to Planetary Health

Date
Location
Berlin/Kiel, Germany
PresentationPanel discussionCycles not Waste – Expert forum on Circular Economy
 

© Petra Kelly Stiftung

We all separate waste. But that is not enough. We have to make sure that garbage is not produced in the first place. All resources have to be recycled again and again in cycles. At the Sustainability Forum of Neumarkter Lammsbräu, Lisa Fiedler of the VAUDE... Read more

Panel discussion:Cycles not Waste – Expert forum on Circular Economy

Date
Location
Neumarkt, Germany
PresentationSpeechReflections on Extended Producer Responsibility under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive
 
On 2 July 2020, Dr. Martin Hirschnitz-Garbers and Dr. Stephan Sina from Ecologic Institute, together with Susanne Altvater from s.Pro, gave a keynote presentation "Reflections on extended producer responsibility under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive" at the... Read more

Speech:Reflections on Extended Producer Responsibility under the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive

Date
Location
online, Germany
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