SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
POLICY PUSH FOR plastics action
Pioneering research into developing holistic solutions to global plastics pollution , especially in the oceans , is gaining momentum with an initiative to help governments and businesses respond more effectively .
Government and industry responses to growing community pressure to curtail the amount of waste plastics in the environment will be put under the microscope at a dedicated policy research hub in the UK . The Global Plastics Policy Hub aims to fill the gap between broad community recognition of plastics pollution and its environmental and human health impacts , and effective policy responses .
The hub is an initiative of the University of Portsmouth and is being funded by the Netherlands-based Flotilla Foundation , which funds research to protect marine environments . Without action , the annual flow of plastic into the ocean is predicted , by 2040 , to nearly triple to an estimated 29 million metric tonnes a year – equivalent to 50 kilograms of plastic per metre of coastline worldwide .
The recently announced hub will provide evidence-based analysis on policies implemented by governments and industry . It will build on the research initiatives already in place under the University ’ s Revolution Plastics programme and its Centre for Enzyme Innovation .
The Director of the University ’ s Sustainability and the Environment research theme , Professor Steve Fletcher , says the hub seeks to fill a critical gap that exists between awareness of the plastics issue and effective action .
22 REVOLUTION PLASTICS / 2023