SCP/RAC assists to an expert meeting in Nairobi to define actions at the global level to fight against marine litter and micro plastics

• In 2050, practically all species of seabirds on the planet will eat plastic. On this year, there will be more plastics in the sea than fish.
• 8 tons of plastic enters our seas every year.
• More than 40% of the plastic is used only once, before being thrown.
• The lifespan of a plastic bag is 16 minutes on average. Then it will take 450 years to degrade. During this process, it generates micro plastics that end up in the sea and damage biodiversity.*

Marine Litter and micro plastics are global issues that require global responses. From the 29^th to the 31^st of May, over 270 experts from all over the world met in Nairobi (Kenya) to work on a global answer to this issue. This first meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics was established after a resolution adopted at the third meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-3, in December 2017).

The meeting aimed at finding national, regional and international response options against marine litter, including innovative actions and approaches, analyzing the environmental, social and economic costs and the benefits of the different response options and identifying if they are feasible and effective. It was also an opportunity for the countries to share their experience at a national or regional level.

SCP/RAC participated to the discussions and shared with the others experts its vision and actions in the Mediterranean. As a center developing its activities under both the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), the first-ever Regional Seas Programme under UN Environment’s umbrella and the Stockholm Convention against Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), SPC/RAC is particularly involved in the introduction of prevention measures in the international and Mediterranean political agenda.  

SCP/RAC develops cross cutting strategies to free the Mediterranean Sea from marine litter and micro plastics by providing direct support to entrepreneurs, businesses, industries, policy makers and consumers and by leading the switch to non-toxic and circular economies. The centre is also highly involved in several projects aiming at tackling marine litter: Plastic Busters MPAs, ACT4LITTER, Marine Litter Med …

The countries all committed to engage actions against marine litter and the group of experts will meet again on November 2018 to purchase the discussions and prepare a decision to be submitted to the next UNEA. 

 Enrique de Villamore (SCP/RAC director), Magali Outters (Team Leader of the Policy Component – SwitchMed Programme), Marta Martínez-Gil Pardo de Vera (MAPA y MITECO: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Ministry for the Ecological Transition.) y Elias Guía López (Permanent representant of UN Environment from the Spanish Embassy). 

* Report of the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation: “The New plastics economy, rethinking the future of plastics2. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/the-new-plastics-economy-rethinking-the-future-of-plastics

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