Event Conference
IEH GUEST Lecture | The truth about plastics recycling and international trade

08 May 2019
14:00–15:30
Venue: International Environment House I | Room 3
Organization: Geneva Environment Network
The perspective of this lecture is from a US non-profit recycler who first pioneered curbside recycling in 1973 and continues to provide this service under contract with the City of Berkeley, USA.
Martin Bourque, visiting Geneva to attend the Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, presented a GPS tracking of mixed plastics to China and SE Asia.
Agenda
Welcome
Diana RIZZOLIO, Coordinator, Geneva Environment Network
Lecture
Lecture from Martin BOURQUE, Executive Director, Ecology Center
Since 2000, Martin has led the Ecology Center, a community-based organization located in Berkeley. Under Martin’s leadership, the Ecology Center is leveraging local direct community service programs to have state and national impact. Martin has spearheaded innovative efforts such as creating a farmers’ market industry group, pioneering electronic food stamp access and incentives at farmers’ markets, and passing the nation’s first Soda Tax. By linking local grassroots grit with highly competent program implementation, and increasingly effective policy advocacy, Martin has led the Ecology Center to become a high impact engine for change.
Discussants
Ieva RUCEVSKA, Project Manager, Environmental Crime and Transboundary Waters, GRID-Arendal
João SOUSA, Senior Program Officer, Marine Plastics, IUCN
Documents
- Martin Bourque Presentation
- The Story of Stuff Video “Where Your Recycled Plastic Ends Up”
- Ieva Rucevska Presentation
- GRID-Arendal: Controlling Transboundary Trade in Plastic Waste
Video
The event was live on Facebook.
Links
- Ecology Center, Barkley
- GRID-Arendal Trade in Plastic
- IUCN & Marine Plastics
- WWF International Report: Solving Plastic Pollution Through Accountability
- The second meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics, convened in Geneva from 3 to 7 December. Various summary reports of this meeting and other related events are already available online:
– Summary / draft report back to UNEA4
– Summary of governance discussions, with annexes - #breakfreefromplastic coalition summary reports
- 4th UN Environment Assembly Resolutions:
– UNEP/EA.4/L.7 Marine Plastic Litter and Microplastics
– UNEP/EA.4/L.10 Addressing Single-use Plastic Products Pollution - Basel Convention & Marine Plastic