05-02-2020
The professor and researcher at the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at NOVA School of Science and Technology, Graça Martinho, is the scientific coordinator of the Portuguese Pact for Plastics, whose launch event took place on February 4, at the EDP Headquarters in Lisbon, with the presence of more than 150 participants.
Among the founding members of this Pact, there are two NOVA School of Science and Technology research units, MARE and CENSE. The project is coordinated by the Smart Waste Portugal Association, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action; Ministry of Economy and Digital Transition; and Ministry of the Sea, and is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Pact for Plastics Network.
This Pact is a collaborative and innovative platform, united by a common vision, of a circular economy for plastics in Portugal, where the goal is for the plastics never to become waste. This common commitment brings together the Government, the different agents in the plastics value chain, the Academy and NGOs, in a total of 55 organizations.
By signing this Pact, the involved entities subscribe and commit to develop actions in order to achieve a set of ambitious goals and objectives for 2025. The objectives are to define, by the end of 2020, a list of single-use plastics considered problematic or unnecessary and define measures for its elimination; ensure that 100% of plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable; grant that 70% or more of plastic packaging is effectively recycled, through increased collection and recycling; incorporate, on average, 30% recycled plastic in new plastic packaging; promote consumer awareness and education activities (current and future) for the circular use of plastics.
The Portuguese Pact for Plastics is a collaborative initiative that aims to lead by example and serve as an inspiration in the movement of transition from plastics to a circular economy.
