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INNOVATIVE APPROACHES
AND TECHNOLOGIES THE MONACO WORLD PLASTICS ASSOCIATION
BEGINS ITS MISSION TO COMBAT PLASTIC
Several innovative technologies for transforming POLLUTION
some of the most polluting and persistent mixed plas-
tic waste into resources were presented. New pers- Monaco Ocean Week ended with the launch of a new
pectives have been revealed by recycling technolo- Monegasque association dedicated entirely to reducing
gies that transform (nylon) fishing nets into products plastic pollution around the world. Its president, Oxana
compatible with ocean life and capable of providing
a source of income for local fishing communities. The Girko, welcomed guests on the deck of the Monaco Yacht
team benefited from a direct industrial perspective, Club, facing the Mediterranean, reminding them of the im-
with the presence of companies focused on changing portance of the mission ahead: to save the ocean from the
the use of plastic, such as Amazon and Patagonia. growing plastic crisis.
The importance of working on the social perceptions
and uses of plastics, as well as on alternative mate- Leaders from a wide range of disciplines gathered at the
rials, was also highlighted. Aquarama Riva to listen to the keynote address, which
highlighted the urgent need for proactive solutions. Profes-
Operations to collect floating plastic waste in South sor John McGeehan, Secretary General of the Association,
America and South-East Asia have demonstrated the and a professor renowned for his team's work on "plas-
potential of this concept for cleaning up ocean areas. tic-eating enzymes" at the University of Portsmouth in the
The presence of organisations such as Ocean Clea- UK, presented the highlights of the World Plastics Summit.
nup has brought to light the technologies deployed,
particularly in the Pacific and in rivers, to intercept Olivier Wenden, Vice-President, and Director General of the
plastic waste before it reaches the seas. Textile recy- Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation thanked
cling was also in the spotlight, with a host of solutions the team for their ongoing efforts and colla-
developed or under evaluation. Solutions for dealing boration with the Prince Albert II of Monaco
with microplastics featured prominently, with innova- Foundation and the Monaco Science Centre.
tive ideas on the extension of technologies, but also
the need for small-scale deployment, in communities
that can directly benefit from them. “Nature has no waste; every form of life
exists within organised global cycles.
Finally, the emergence of recyclable alternative Plastics affect nature's cycle, persisting in the
polymers that avoid the production of microplastics environment for hundreds of years. We urgently
and the persistence of pollutants in the environment need to find solutions to deal with existing plastic and
is one of the milestones of a post-plastic era.
develop the circular materials of the future”.
Oxana Girko, President of the World Plastics Association
Monaco