Micropollutants and Plastic in the Environment

| © Jaehak Jung

Micropollutants and Plastic in the Environment

Presentation: Speech
Date: 10 October 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany
Speech: Dr. Ulf Stein

On 10 and 11 October 2019, experts from the Korean Environmental Ministry, Korean Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, Korean Institute of Analytical Science and Technology and the University of Seoul visited the Umweltbundesamt (UBA) and the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung (BAM) in Berlin. Together with colleagues from BAM, UBA and Ecologic Institute they presented and discussed current developments in research in Germany and Korea on micropollutants and plastic in the environment, especially in water and food. Ulf Stein from Ecologic Institute and deputy coordinator of the four-year project PlastikNet, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) presented on research activities of the research focus 'Plastics in the environment' in Germany.

Korean-German meeting on microplastics

Contact

Dr. Ulf Stein

Coordinator Water Studies

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.

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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.

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.

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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

Organizer: German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany
Speech: Dr. Ulf Stein
Date: 10 October 2019
Location: Berlin, Germany
Language: English
Project: Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
Project ID: 2295
Keywords: Health

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

plastic, microplastic

Berlin, Germany, Korea

Further Links

Project website: Plastik in der Umwelt

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

PresentationLecturePlastics Crisis? – Advantages of plastics and the problems of plastic consumption

On 29 May 2019, Doris Knoblauch and Linda Mederake, both scientific researchers at Ecologic Institute, were guest "professors" at the Nürti Üni, the schoolchildren's university of the Nürtingen Primary School in Berlin-Kreuzberg. They held a lecture on "Plastics Crisis ... Read more

Lecture:Plastics Crisis? – Advantages of plastics and the problems of plastic consumption

Date: 29 May 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

PublicationArticleRegulation: Solutions at the Wrong End.

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.

ProjectInternet Platform Marine Litter

Since 2017, the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has been operating the Internet platform marine litter at www.muell-im-meer.de. The main objective of the platform is to provide organisational support for the German Roundtable on Marine Litter and its working groups, in... Read more

Internet Platform Marine Litter

Duration: Apr 2019 - Dec 2023
Funding: German Environment Agency (UBA), Germany

PublicationReportPilotbericht "Ein Geschmack der Zukunft der Meere"

Engaging the public on science and sustainable consumption: the how-to guide published in the pilot report "A Taste of the Future of the Seas" explains how to organize fun and impactful popular-scientific events, with a special focus on sustainable food. The guide,... Read more

McFarland, Keighley, Jennifer Reck, Alexandra Moormann, Lilian Leupold, Maria Korbizki, Karl Lehmann, Lina Röschel, Stefanie Krzyzniewski, Chiara Mazzetti (2017) Pilotbericht „Ein Geschmack der Zukunft der Meere“. Hrsg. Ecologic Institut gemeinnützige GmbH und Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung. Berlin.

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