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OPEN SCIENCE
The first World Plastics

Summit

© Stefan Venter, UPIX Photography

Can open science reduce plastic pollution? It was with this goal in mind that a
hundred or so international leaders in research and innovation focused on this

global material met in Monaco.

An undisputed global concern, plastic pollution is A MIXING OF DISCIPLINES
concentrated in the ocean, the final destination of
waste and particles loaded with contaminants. It was Biologists, chemists, engineers, environment spe-
with the aim of generating momentum commensurate cialists, materials experts, sustainability analysts,
with this scourge that the first World Plastics Summit journalists, scholars, entrepreneurs, NGO represen-
was launched during Monaco Ocean Week, under tatives and members of the United Nations Environ-
the high patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. ment Program (UNEP)… all of them demonstrated a
“Together, we form a powerful team, and I am ho- genuine desire for openness and cooperation. The
noured to be the ideological inspirer of this project”, Summit thus provided the opportunity to pool ap-
declared with enthusiasm philanthropist Oxana Girko, proaches, promote solutions and create new synergy
awardee of the Women of Monaco’s Green Award, offering glimpses of more collaborative and systemic
who alongside Oleg Novachuk, largely contributed to approaches to curb the flow of plastics, accelerate
funding the event aimed at strengthening cooperation recycling and work towards a global objective: zero
between researchers, innovators and decision-ma- plastic pollution.
kers at a global scale.

Starting in the morning of 24 March, and lasting four “By joining forces, we can increase our
days, a hundred or so international plastic experts collective resources and focus new
met at the Novotel Monte Carlo to address in detail IN energy on integrated solutions.”
the key challenges and solutions in this field. For many
delegates, this was the first face-to-face meeting for SIGHT Andy Pickford, Professor of molecular
several years due to the global pandemic. biophysics at the University of
Portsmouth