Building a regional picture of plastic pollution to enact change

Presentation by Dr Denise Hardesty (CSIRO)

Abstract

There is an increasing focus on plastic pollution around the world, and this symposium highlights the interest, relevance and opportunities for change. Globally, there is a pending Global Plastics Treaty and domestically, Australia Federal Government has announced their target of reducing plastic in the environment by 80% by 2030. Over the last several years, CSIRO’s globally recognized marine debris team has been working within the region to collect data and support country targets and national plastics plans, whilst building capacity to better measure and manage plastic waste in the environment. Having worked in 20+ countries to date, this talk will focus on highlighting results from the data collected. We will also highlight partnerships, actions and activities within the region, as well as discuss upcoming opportunities to create impact and long lasting change to society’s relationship with plastic.