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focus on ur work matt

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A new French law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted at home by January of 2020. That number willrise to 60% by January of 2025.

The measure is an addition to France's " Energy Transition for Green Growth Act," a wide-reaching law adopted last year with the aim of mitigating the impact of climate change.

France hopes to become a world leader in environmental and energy solutions, catalyzed by the COP21 Climate Change conference held in Paris last December.

One hundred and fifty single-use cups are thrown away every second in the country -- 4.73 billion per year, according to the French Association of Health and Environment, ASEF.

Only 1% of them is recycled, largely because they are made of a mixture of polypropylene and polystyrene.

Industry backlash

While the French ban has been cheered by many, others are not happy.

Pack2GoEurope, an industry association representing Europe's leading food-packaging manufacturers, said that the measure violates EU law on the free movement of goods.

It has asked the EU Commission to block the French law and is consulting with lawyers about taking legal action against France.

"Finding a package that meets the really critical food hygiene requirements that consumers want, that can also be composted in a domestic composter...right now they don't exist," said Eamonn Bates, secretary general of the Brussels-based body.

"My members are not against bio plastics or new products. But the industry does oppose them being imposed for certain applications especially when the life-cycle analysis shows that there is no environmental basis for doing so," he said.

There is debate within scientific and manufacturing sectors as to whether the energy required to produce environmentally-friendly plastics is greener than the alternatives.

Researchers at the Netherlands' Wageningen University who investigated the potential of the materials found that while bio plastics represent the most viable future alternative to oil-based products, the processes used to produce them need to become more energy-efficient to make them worthwhile.

Plastic bags banned

France's new law is the work of Ségolène Royal, French minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy.

Her "Green Growth" plan seeks to cut landfill waste in half by 2025 and reduce greenhouse emissions 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

In July, France imposed a total ban on the distribution of lightweight plastic bags at supermarket checkouts, a measure already in place in several countries.

Bangladesh became the first nation to ban the bags in 2002, after they blocked up drainage systems during flooding. Countries including South Africa, Kenya, China, Rwanda and Mexico have followed suit, along with certain states of the US.

Retailers in the United Kingdom and New York City charge customers a small fee for plastic bags at supermarkets. In Ireland, the 0.17 Euro ($0.19) fee introduced in 2002 reduced plastic bag usage from 328 per person to 14 per person in 2014. The fee has now increased to 0.22 Euros ($0.25).

Scientists estimate that around eight million tons of plastic waste ended up in the world's oceans in 2010, with warnings that this amount could increase tenfold unless international waste management is improved.

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france ban disposable plastic cups and plates - cnn

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France bans disposable plastic cups and plates

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A new French law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted at home by January of 2020. That number willrise to 60% by January of 2025. The measure is an addition to France's " Energy Transition for Green Growth Act," a wide-reaching law adopted last year with the aim of mitigating the impact of climate change.

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The Sea Dumping Act regulates the loading and dumping of waste at sea. The Act fulfils Australia's international obligations under the London Protocol to prevent marine pollution by dumping of wastes and other matter.

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http://www.sealifetrust.org.au/our-campaigns/conservation-projects?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_Mqo0If12gIVyDUrCh1EUwq7EAAYAiAAEgIDwfD_BwE

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http://plasticfreesea.com.au/
https://www.emv.vic.gov.au/responsibilities/state-emergency-plans/state-maritime-emergencies-non-search-and-rescue-plan

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https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwieqa_Th_XaAhVM2LwKHb9xB_cQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Finhabitat.com%2Ftag%2Fplastic-bags%2F&psig=AOvVaw12B0lkAm_cZtKedJAbJkkG&ust=1525832634026403

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International Organisations – Marine pollution The United Nations has long been at the forefront of efforts to ensure the peaceful, cooperative, legally defined uses of the seas and oceans for the individual and common benefit of humankind. The UN’s ground-breaking work in adopting the 1982

Law of the Sea Convention stands as a defining moment in the extension of international law to the vast, shared water resources of our planet. It is the only global intergovernmental mechanism directly addressing the connectivity between terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems. Marine pollution, is one of the areas which received has received much attention recently, with over 550 commitments announced, addressing measures such as reducing or banning plastic bags, bottles, straws, micro beads in cosmetics, organizing coastal and ocean clean ups, addressing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear – including ghost nets.

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http://www.dw.com/en/un-resolves-to-end-ocean-plastic-waste/a-41690999

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http://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do#gs.ggG0_S8

What they do:

Great barrier reef

WWF-Australia's goal is to halt and reverse the decline of species and ecosystem health in the Great Barrier Reef, while reducing the impact of climate change.

Antarctica

WWF is collaborating with a whale ecologist and National Geographic explorer to implement and promote non-lethal whale research techniques to maximise conservation outcomes for Southern Ocean whales.

The Coral Triangle

WWF is guiding fishing communities in Madang Province, PNG, and the central Western Province, Solomon Islands, on how they can apply innovative and integrated approaches to more effectively manage their fisheries sustainably, strengthened by women’s economic empowerment and ﬁnancial inclusion.

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http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/publications/threat-abatement-plan-impacts-marine-debris-vertebrate-marine-life

In June 2009 The Australian government made the "Threat abatement plan" because of a decline in bio diversity in the oceans. The plane gives a framework with time frames and actions to ensure a national approach on the issues of marine pollution. It looks at existing plans that have been put in place, the effectiveness of those plans and other conventions.

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Local clean up days on the Mornington Peninsula, and other events in the same category.

A port phillip reduction to workshops.

Sea side scavengers in Rye (8th of Jan)

The local shire is pushing for single use plastic bag ban.

One of the main events in the local area is the Australia day clean up.

Local events such as these are a great way to keep our areas clean and tidy for our sake.

Another way our local area is helping to save our Earth is by using categorised bins, such as the ones seen at our school. Separating the rubbish in these ways are a great way to get the most out of recycling and being very detailed in what we throw out.

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https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/un-ocean-plastic-waste-resolution-us-china-india-reject-pollution-sea-united-nations-environment-a8095541.html

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https://theconversation.com/the-battle-to-ban-plastic-bags-94350

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/02/coca-cola-increased-its-production-of-plastic-bottles-by-a-billion-last-year-say-greenpeace

https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/blog/ocean-plastic-addressing-the-problem-and-steps-towards-sustainable-solution

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UK bans microbeads

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http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-pollution/marine-debris
A government website addressing the issues around Marine pollution and the decline in biodiversity in areas around the Australia coast.

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Harry Rowe, Boston Riley and Tahlia Morris

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Harry Rowe, Boston Riley and Tahlia Morris

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https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2016/07/30/editorials/plastic-waste-turning-seas-toxic/#.WvEMgoiFMvi

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The world's coastal waters and oceans are deteriorating due to increasing coastal development, marine litter, excess nutrients, untreated wastewater and other pollution threats. EPA helps shape U.S. Government positions on international marine pollution issues with U.S. government agency partners, national governments in other countries, international organizations, among others, to ensure that international decisions and management of marine pollution issues support EPA's mission: To protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment - air, water and land -upon which life depends.

EPA works to reduce marine pollution in different ways. For example, EPA is working with governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to help them develop and implement national action plans on marine litter. EPA also works with State Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fulfill US obligations under the Cartagena Convention, which focuses on reducing land-based sources of marine pollution through the Land-Based Sources Protocol and protecting biodiversity through the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol.

Learn more about EPA efforts to protect the global marine environment:

EPA Efforts to Address the Global Marine Litter Problem

Marine litter is a significant problem in the world's oceans. The 80% of marine litter stemming from land-based sources is largely a result of insufficient solid waste management. Plastic waste is a major component of marine litter. While the US can do better in preventing and reducing marine litter and plastics, many countries around the world require massive improvements in solid waste management to address this problem.

Uncollected waste is a major source of land-based marine litter. It is estimated that less than 50% of waste in the least developed countries is collected, and approximately 90% of waste is burned or ends up in open dumps. The amount of uncollected and mismanaged waste entering the oceans has significantly worsened in the past decades, causing increased economic and environmental damage. In particular, the plastic waste harms physical habitats for wildlife, transports chemical and nutrient pollutants, and interferes with human uses of river, marine and coastal environments.

EPA is working to address marine litter globally through international policy engagement and international actions and projects to reduce and prevent marine litter. EPA has also developed an International Marine Litter Toolbox that includes guides for countries to use in addressing marine litter and improving solid waste management.

Learn more about EPA's International Actions to Address Marine Litter.

Addressing Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution

Land-Based Sources Protocol for the Wider Caribbean Region

EPA led the negotiations for the Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities (LBS Protocol), which was signed in 1999 in Aruba, Netherlands Antilles, and entered into force in 2010 at the Cartagena Convention. The LBS Protocol is a legally binding protocol to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean (Cartagena Convention).

The Wider Caribbean Region includes those countries that border:

eastern Florida south of 30 north latitude,

the Straits of Florida,

the Gulf of Mexico or

the Caribbean Sea.

The seaward boundary of the region is the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of each country.

EPA joined the US delegation at the first meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the LBS Protocol (LBS COP 1), which took place on October 24, 2012 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. EPA continues to play a leadership role for the U.S. government in projects under the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme.

The United Nations Environment Programme/ Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP/CEP) is the Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention as well as the three Protocols: Land-Based Sources (LBS) Protocol; Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife; and, Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities.

In addition to staff in Washington, DC, EPA staff in the Caribbean Environmental Protection Division provide expertise and coordination with countries of the Wider Caribbean Region. The Office of International and Tribal Affairs also coordinates with experts in EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program on pollution prevention issues.

The LBS Protocol incorporates the following general obligation to address land-based sources of pollution in the Wider Caribbean Region:

Each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with its laws, the provisions of this Protocol, and international law, take appropriate measures to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the Convention area from land-based sources and activities, using for this purpose the best practicable means at its disposal and in accordance with its capabilities.

EPA is the U.S. government technical focal point for the implementation of the LBS Protocol, which focuses on two key issues: domestic sewage (wastewater) and agricultural non-point source (nutrient) pollution.

For further information on EPA's involvement with the LBS Protocol, see Cartagena Convention and Caribbean Environment Program.

Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities

The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA) is designed to be a source of conceptual and practical guidance for national and/or regional authorities to devise and implement sustained actions to prevent, reduce, control and/or eliminate marine degradation from land-based activities.

On November 5, 1995, the GPA was adopted at an intergovernmental meeting in Washington, DC. The aims of the GPA are:

preventing the degradation of the marine environment from land-based activities by facilitating the realization of the duty of States to preserve and protect the marine environment. [The GPA] is designed to assist States in taking actions individually or jointly within their respective policies priorities and resources, which will lead to the prevention, reduction, control and /or elimination of degradation of the marine environment, as well as to its recovery from the impacts of land-based activities. Achievement of the aims of the Programme of Action will contribute to maintaining and, where appropriate, ensuring the protection of human health, as well as promoting the conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources.

The recommendations and principles contained in the GPA are used to focus policy decisions, regional initiatives and international cooperation to protect human health and marine environmental resources.

Reducing Pollution from Ships

Antifouling Paints

EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) led an interagency working group negotiating U.S. policy and then helped negotiate on behalf of the U.S. for the global antifouling treaty that was developed at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The treaty was completed in October 2001 and legally entered into force in 2008.

Additional information is available on Antifouling Systems section the official website of the IMO.

Air Pollution

EPA is leading U.S. Government efforts to address air pollution from ships including discussions at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) relating to MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI and greenhouse gas emissions from ships. EPA coordinates closely with the State Department's climate office and the U.S. Coast Guard.

For more information on this topic, visit the Air Pollution section of the official website of the IMO.

Ballast Water Discharges

EPA is a member of an interagency working group for the U.S. delegation to IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The committee is currently engaged in the implementation of a global treaty for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments that is intended to reduce the introduction of harmful aquatic species. Although this Convention has not yet entered into force, EPA works with others to assess proposals for IMO approval of ballast water management systems that may be employed on international shipping.

Ocean Dumping

The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (commonly refered to as the London Convention) was signed in London in 1972. Article I of the London Convention states:

Contracting Parties shall individually and collectively promote the effective control of all sources of pollution of the marine environment, and pledge themselves especially to take all practicable steps to prevent the pollution of the sea by the dumping of waste and other matter that is liable to create hazards to human health, to harm living resources and marine life, to damage amenities or to interfere with other legitimate uses of the sea.

In 1996, a Protocol was developed to amend the London Convention to ban ocean disposal of radioactive wastes and incineration at sea. Article II of the 1996 Protocol defines the objectives of this amendment as:

Contracting Parties shall individually and collectively protect and preserve the marine environment from all sources of pollution and take effective measures, according to their scientific, technical and economic capabilities, to prevent, reduce and where practicable eliminate pollution caused by dumping or incineration at sea of wastes or other matter. Where appropriate, they shall harmonize their policies in this regard.

Additional information on EPA's involvement with the London Convention.

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Protecting the Global Marine Environment | US EPA

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The world's coastal waters and oceans are deteriorating due to increasing coastal development, marine litter, excess nutrients, untreated wastewater and other pollution threats. EPA helps shape U.S. Government positions on international marine pollution issues with U.S.

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https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/un-ocean-plastic-waste-resolution-us-china-india-reject-pollution-sea-united-nations-environment-a8095541.html

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http://www.dw.com/en/un-resolves-to-end-ocean-plastic-waste/a-41690999

One of their main goals was to change shipping strategies in order to make marine shipping transport cleaner and greener. They have done this by adopting ways that reduce air pollutions by ships and creating mandatory energy efficiency measures to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being emitted from ships on the seas. Also extra measures to make sure that no oil gets spilled into the ocean.

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https://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/19/europe/france-bans-plastic-cups-plates/index.html

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https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/uk-tackling-plastic-pollution-waste-plan/

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/microbeads-ban-uk/
http://ourocean2017.org/
https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/eu-and-us-tackling-plastic-pollution-ocean_en