Quiz: Plastic in the Environment – What do you know?

Publication: Web Application
Citation: Ecologic Institute 2020: Quiz: Plastic in the environment – What do you know? Online: quiz.bmbf-plastik.de

When I wash a polyester fleece jacket, can microplastics get into the water? How many climate-damaging greenhouse gases are released annually due to the global production of plastics and what is chemical recycling?

Plastics are all around us and make up an essential part of our daily lives. How much do we know about this material, its variety, the associated environmental problems and possible solutions? The quiz "Plastics in the environment - What do you know?" invites you to test your knowledge around the topic of plastics in five categories. Furthermore, the category "Questions for adults & children" contains questions suited for children.

The quiz was developed within the research focus "Plastic in the Environment - Sources - Sinks - Solutions", which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The Ecologic Institute was responsible for the development and implementation of the quiz.

The quiz is available online at http://quiz.bmbf-plastik.de/ and is suitable for all common browsers on computers and mobile devices.

Test your knowledge on the topic of plastics!

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

Languages: German

English
Credits: Concept & Content: Mandy Hinzmann, Janna Vakili
Programming: Prasanna Ramesh
Design: Lena Aebli
Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
Year: 2020
Project: Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)
Project ID: 2295
Keywords: Digitalization

Education

Plastics

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Further Links

Plastics in the environment

PublicationBookHeddi und die Plastik-Helden

This PIXI book was created in the context of "Plastics in the Environment", a research focus coordinated by the Ecologic Institute. It tells the story of Samia, Johann and their babysitter Tom, who discover a seagull tangled up in a plastic bag on a riverside. After the... Read more

Kienle, Dela; Knorre, Alexander von (2020): Heddi und die Plastik-Helden. Special production for the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment". Carlsen Verlag, Hamburg.

PublicationReportHintergrundpapier: Plastikpolitik in Deutschland und der EU

Plastic pollution – especially the dramatic littering of the oceans – and the public concerns about it have powerfully brought the issue on the European and German political agenda. Since then, there have been a whole series of new initiatives to regulate plastics -... Read more

Mederake, Linda; Hinzmann, Mandy; Langsdorf, Susanne (2020): Hintergrundpapier: Plastikpolitik in Deutschland und der EU. Ecologic Institut: Berlin.

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

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: Apr 2020 - Mar 2021
Funding: Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBS), Germany

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

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

News(Single-use) Plastics Remain a Challenge Despite and Especially because of the Pandemic!

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