By a clean sea - Plastivida

Plastivida's attention to the issue of waste in the seas comes from a long time.
When the Honolulu Commitment was launched in 2011 to stimulate the sharing of solutions to reduce marine litter, seeking to improve waste management worldwide, Plastivida was already attentive to this movement aimed at governments, industries, NGOs and other stakeholders
The Honolulu Commitment aims to serve as a management tool to reduce the entry into the sea of waste, both of land origin and marine activities, as well as to provide for the removal of material that already exists in the oceans.
As a result of this action, in the same year, the "Joint Global Declaration of the Plastics Industry" was signed, to which Plastivida is a signatory. This declaration formalizes the position of this global industry in relation to the theme of waste in the seas. Organizations linked to the plastic production chain around the world have pledged to work together with government representatives, non-governmental organizations, researchers and other decision makers to prevent waste at sea.
With all this in mind, Plastivida went deep into the matter. In 2012, he signed an agreement with the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo (IO-USP) to train and develop scientific studies on the Brazilian coast and thus prepare to address discussions on the subject in Brazil, both with the plastics production chain and with society in general. Actions were developed to know and evaluate the theme in Brazil, as well as to dimension its relevance to the global scenario, identify and quantify the origin of waste in Brazilian seas and beaches, establish time series of data on marine waste and develop environmental education actions.
This work resulted, in 2016, in the creation of the Plastics Sector Forum: For a Clean Sea, which promotes studies, interacts with national and global players on the subject and generates practical actions, both environmental education and solution to the issue.
In June, when Environment Day and Ocean Day are celebrated, we are happy to put into practice an important action aimed at mitigating plastic waste in the oceans.
Licensor of the International Operation Clean Sweep Program (OCS®), Plastivida, in partnership with Abiquim and Abiplast, begins the implementation process of the Pellets Zero Program – OCS® in companies in the plastics production chain.
The program aims to assist these companies in the eventual reduction of the loss of plastic pellets in the marine environment and is based on the Manual Zero Loss of Pellets (OCS®), adapted to the Brazilian reality.
Studies developed in the framework of Plastivida's partnership with IO-USP show that the loss of pellets to the environment is minimal, especially when compared to other sources of waste loss to the seas, such as municipal solid waste. However, it is a process in which the solution is within the governance of the industry, and therefore, it is fundamental the adhesion of the sector.
The Handbook seeks to meet the goals foreseen by Sustainable Development Goal No. 14 (SDG-14), for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, and those undertaken by governments of several countries and international civil society organizations during the United Nations Conference on The Oceans in 2017.
This is an important step, the result of years of studies and dedication on the subject. We are performing, together with the production chain, a consistent work of mitigating the issue of waste in the oceans and advancing effectively in this important global impact agenda.
- Miguel Bahiense