The “Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter” has been joined by three new signatories from China. In November, the China Plastics Processing Industry Association (CPPIA, Beijing; www.cppia.com.cn), the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF, Beijing; www.cpcia.org.cn/English) and the China Synthetic Resin Marketing Association officially joined the initiative, thereby committing to contribute to scientific research, knowledge sharing and partnerships to “develop solutions that treat plastics as resources and keep them out of the marine environment.”

Commenting on the groups’ decision to sign the declaration, American Chemistry Council (ACC, Washington DC; www.americanchemistry.com) vice president of plastics Steve Russell said, “Marine debris is a complex, global problem, and China’s participation is a strong signal that this industry is committed to doing our part in providing solutions.” Earlier this year CPPIA also became a partner in “Operation Clean Sweep” (OCS; www.opcleansweep.org), which aims to prevent plastics raw materials from entering the marine environment (see Plasteurope.com of 10.06.2015).

The Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter was first established in 2011 (see Plasteurope.com of 24.03.2011). Since then it has grown to comprise 60 associations in 34 countries, with 185 projects that are either still in the planning stages, have already been initiated or have been completed.