Plastic Marine Litter:

One big market failure

PMLV039

Dr. Arthur ten Wolde

Senior Consultant IMSA Amsterdam

Wageningen Studium Generale

2 October 2013

2

• Independent think tank and consultancy in the field of sustainability

and innovation

• Founded by Wouter van Dieren (1985): one of the first ever

• Systems thinking Club of Rome forms starting point

• Multidisciplinary team (20) of academic professionals + external

network of specialists

• Clients and sponsors range from large chemical, food, oil, and energy

companies to governments at all levels as well as NGOs

• Specialized in:

1. Stakeholder dialogues

2. Strategic sustainability advice

3. Organise special events on sustainability

www.imsa.nl

IMSA AMSTERDAM

3

Measures CommunicationNetworkKnowledgeVision,

strategy

Want Think Check Act Tell- - - -

IMSA POLICY CYCLE

4

IMSA FILTER MODEL

Environmental organisations

Consumer organisations

Trade unions

Scientists

Experts

Governments

Politics

Industry associations

Companies

Retail

Other

Product Market

Societal Filter

Media

Com

pany C

onsum

er

Media

5

• 2011: Plastic Marine Litter Project, Dutch stakeholders

engaged, report Plastics do not belong in the ocean

• 2012-2013: Plastic Marine Waste project carried out

with Stuf Kaasenbrood (PlasticsEurope) and sponsored

by PlasticsEurope and flooring company Desso.

Outcome: Plastic Marine Litter: One big market failure

(2013)

!"#$%&'()*+%"(,-./%0-1/,

&,23/+4)

6

Plastics do not belong in the ocean

Main findings of the report

George Wurpel

9 November 2011

PML115 D02

7

THE REPORT GIVES A SCIENCE-BASED, UP-TO-DATE

STARTING POINT FOR THE NEXT PHASE

June 6, 2011: kick-off Noordwijk

Desk research

Expert Interviews

Visit meetings1st draft

Expert review

Comments andsuggestions partners

discussion 2nd draft

End of Nov:Definitive

2nd draftMark Anthony

BrowneUniv. Dublin

Jan Andriesvan Franeker

IMARES

Edward KosiorNextek

Rick NickersonMaking WavesCommunication

Scientific Advisory Board

8

STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN REPORT

Industry

Science

NGO’s

Governments

(as an observer)

9

A WORKING HYPOTHESIS PROVIDES A SHARED

DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM

Causes Effects Solutions

Man-made

Complex

Unsustainable

life cycle

Ecosystems

Economies

Human health

Cumulative

impacts

Multi-stakeholder

Manufacture

Usage

End-of-life

Restoration

Keep benefits

10

THE NORTH SEA AND WADDEN SEA HAVE A VALUABLE

ECOSYSTEM

11

THE NORTH SEA HAS A LARGE ECONOMIC VALUE

12

THE NORTH SEA IS A GOOD TESTING AREA BECAUSE

OF ITS GEOGRAPHY AND MARINE INFRASTRUCTURE

13

Spills, losses

THE PLASTIC LIFE CYCLE GIVES MULTIPLE ROUTES TO

MARINE LITTER

Extraction Refinery Processing Manufacturing

Oil, Gas, Biomass Ethylene, Propylene,... Colorants, plasticizers,...

at sea on landWaste

Pellets, nurdles

Recycling

Use

Lost, abandoned,

dumped

Littering, storm drains,

flooding,

water sheds, beaches

Run-off, wind

14

FOR THE NORTH SEA KNOWLEDGE OF PML IS PATCHY

Floating StrandingFragmenting

SedimentationMicroplastic

Fouling

Seabed

Ingested

Quantitative,

relatively complete

Rudimentary, laborious

measurements

Single species - fulmar

One survey,large coverage

Scattered information,

pathways unclear

Direct entry established,

quantities uncertain

15

Main sources in the

North Sea

No

rth

SeaRecycling

Energy recovery

Virgin plastics

Pelletloss

Scrubs

LaundryTransport

Production

Use

Fisheries

Shipping

River litter

Wastewaterplant

Beachlitter

Landfill

End-of-lifeRe-use

(Arrows not to scale!)

16

THE DIRECT EFFECTS OF PLASTIC MARINE LITTER ARE

SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR ACTION

Economical damage Ecological damage and

animal suffering

Hundreds of seaanimal species

affected

some - dozens ofbillions of euro

annually

Globally:

17

The issue of plastic marinelitter

Potentialtriggeringevent: Health

Publicity / Exposure

Time

Birth Growth Development Maturity

1. Issue escalation

3. Proactively managed

! Issue fatigue

! Reincarnation

Post-maturity

2. Scenario 2:Lingering below the threshold

Triggeringevent: Gyrediscovery

Current status

18

THE ISSUE LIES AT THE INTERSECT OF OCEAN HEALTH

AND PLASTIC USAGE (1)

Ocean health Plastic usage

Over

fishing

Climate

change

Non-native

species

Toxicity

Resources

P

M

L

Life

cycle

Pollution

19

PLASTICS STRENGTHS AND CONCERNS

20

OPPOSITE FRAMES (1)

Producers, including plastic industry,packaging industry and otherindustries. Governments. To a lesser

degree non-sustainable consumers.

Consumers, all users of plasticproducts.

Responsibility

Industry deliberately produces toxicand wasteful products to maximiseprofits.

Littering consumers, e.g. during beachrecreation, and littering industries, e.g.shipping and fisheries.

Problemsource

Plastics are inherently toxic and non-degradable materials, which last

forever, poison our food chain andaffect human health.

Plastics are valuable and diversematerials with many useful applications,

but as with all materials problems canoccur if not disposed of properly.

Problemdefinition

Plastic soup, plastic marine pollution

Plastic pollution is a genuine crisis. Noamount of political tactics, businessgreed, or disinformation can change

the fact that there are almost no placeson the planet that remain untouched byplastic trash.

Marine debris

The simple fact is that waste (plastics orotherwise) does not belong in the sea.Litter is primarily a result of human

neglect and poor waste managementand if we all acted responsibly therewould be no reason for the largemajority of it to be there.

Language

Consumption issueLittering issue

21

OPPOSITE FRAMES (2)

End global dependence on(disposable) plastics

Prevent plastics ending up in theocean

Role ofpolicy

Policy based on precautionaryprinciple

• Refuse or ban disposableproducts

• Substitution with other materials

• Encourage consumers and

companies to reduce their plasticfootprint.

• Government regulation andenforcement

Policy based on risk-based approach

• Recovery of plastic waste during

production and transport

• Improve waste infrastructure

• Market-based measures

• Design for recycling

• Government enforcement of wastereduction policies and conventions

Policysolution

Consumption issueLittering issue

22

SYSTEMS THINKING FRAME

Find win-win solutions to theissues related to plastic marine

litter

End global dependence on(disposable) plastics.

Prevent plasticsending up in the

ocean

Role of policy

Multistakeholder, including

extended producerresponsibility

Producers, including plastic

industry, packaging industry andother industries. Governments.

To a lesser degree non-

sustainable consumers.

Consumers, all users

of plastic products

Responsibility

Based on precautionaryprinciple

Industry deliberately produces

toxic and wasteful products tomaximise profits

Plastics are inherently toxic and

non-degradable materials…

Plastic soup, plastic marine

pollution

Consumption issue

Based on the outcome of ascience-based multistakeholder

dialogue

Based on risk-basedapproach

Policysolutions

Science-based assessment

including perceptions

Littering consumers,

and industries

Problem

source

See hypothesis: man-made,

complex issue, unsustainablelife cycle etc.

Plastics are valuable

and diverse materials…

Problem

definition

Plastic Marine LitterMarine debrisLanguage

System thinking frameLittering issue

23

RELATION WITH SPIRAL DYNAMICS AND

THE CULTURAL THEORY OF RISK

Holistic thinking & feelingSystems thinkingAwareness

People & planet,

risk aversion

Profit, risk-seeking,

status, innovation

Freedom

Stability, safety

regulations, risk acceptance

Personal powerPower

The tribeStaying aliveSurvival

We-centered(Yin)

I-centered(Yang)

Motivations /value system

• Circumstances determine optimal value systems

• Transcend and include, no hierarchy

• Frames determined by value systems

24

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR INDIRECT EFFECTS SHOWS

DIFFERENT LIKELIHOODS AND IMPACTS

25

WASTE AND POLLUTION IS BUILT INTO LINEAR TAKE-

MAKE-WASTE PRODUCTION MODEL

raw materials

nutrientrecovery

compost

disposal

landfill,(marine) environment

pollution

greenhouse gasemissions, otheremissions to water/air

reuse recycle

manufacture use EOL

Recovered materials

26

KEEPING RESOURCES IN THE LOOP CAN ELIMINATE

WASTE-RELATED PROBLEMS: CIRCULAR ECONOMY

recycle

raw materials

Recovered materials

manufacture use end of life

waste & litter prevention nutrientrecovery

composting

rethink, redesign, reduce, repair & enable, tempt and enforce

reuse

27

ACTION IS REQUIRED AT ALL LEVELS OF THE CURRENT

LIFE CYCLE OF PLASTIC

Waste Management

Manufacture

Rethink

Cyclic business models

Material redesign

Product redesign

Consumption& Disposal

End-of-life

Energy recoveryNutrient recoveryMaterial recoveryEmission control

InterceptClean upReuse / Repair

Recycle

Compost

Incinerate

Land fill

Substitution

Bio-based

Biodegradable

Timed degradation

Non-toxic

Restoration

Smart material use

Design for recycling

Resource efficiency

LCA

Certification

Education

Certification

Labeling

Best Practices

Lease / borrow

‘Bio’ ‘Techno’

Biogas

(Marine) EnvironmentUse

Behavioral change

28

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PLASTIC LIFE CYCLE

FOLLOW FROM THE SOLUTIONS MODEL

Enable cyclic

business

Promote

behavioural

change

Improve waste

management

Rehabilitate

habitats

manufacture use end-of-life environment

RECOMMENDATIONS

29

A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM IS

REQUIRED FOR EFFECTIVE SOLUTION

Increase knowledge

Enable cyclic

business

Promote

behavioural

change

Improve waste

management

Rehabilitate

habitats

RECOMMENDATIONS

30

BEST PRACTICES AND RESEARCH LEAD TO POLICY

OPTIONS AND PROPOSALS

Enable cyclic

business

Promote

behavioural

change

Improve waste

management

Rehabilitate

habitats

RECOMMENDATIONS

Increase knowledge

Policy development

31

FOR EVERY RECOMMENDATION MULTIPLE ACTIONS

HAVE BEEN PROPOSED

• Improve monitoring efforts

• Integrate knowledge

• Develop scenarios

• Build on marine infrastructure

• Awareness of the North Sea

• Plastic usage and disposal on land

• Prevent disposal practices at sea

• Design for reuse & recycle

• Improve life cycle analyses

• Avoid potential toxicants

• Teaching

• Increase collection

• Increase recycling

• Close the leaks

• Embed stakeholder knowledge

and best practices

• Enforce regional & int. policies

• Enhance global cooperation

Increase

knowledge

Enable cyclic

business

Promote

behavioural

change

Improve waste

management

Rehabilitate

habitats

Policy

development

32

OUTCOME OF 2011 PML PROJECT

!Strong group of involved stakeholders

" Report with inventory of the issues,

well-received

" Website www.plasticmarinelitter.eu

" Outline of the North Sea programme

33

Plastic Marine Litter: ONE BIG MARKET FAILURESystemic Look at Plastic Waste in the Light of Plastic Marine Litter

Executive Summary of the Report of the Plastic Marine Waste Project,Discussed at the Stakeholder Meeting Eenhoorn Amersfoort, March 28 2013

The Main Report PMW023 can be downloaded on www.plasticmarinelitter.eu

Janneke PorsArthur Ten Wolde

34

SECOND STUDY:

WORK STREAM 4 OF THE PML PROGRAMME

Increase

knowledge

Circular

business

models

Promote

behavioural

change

Improve waste

management

Restore

habitats

Policy

development

Science Industry GovernmentsNGOs

• Increase collection

• Increase recycling

• Close the leaks

manufacture use end-of-life environment

35

PROJECT OUTLINE

• Plastic Marine Waste project (June 2012-April 2013).

• The draft results were discussed at a stakeholder meeting on

March 28 in Amersfoort, the Netherlands.

• The project was carried out by IMSA Amsterdam and sponsored

by the European industry association PlasticsEurope, Cradle to

Cradle flooring company Desso and the Dutch Ministry of

Infrastructure and the Environment (Rijkswaterstaat).

• Focus: Land-based plastic waste, especially packaging and

municipal waste; North Sea

The main report (PMW023) can be downloaded on

www.plasticmarinelitter.eu

36

INTERVIEWS

• Rudi Daelmans, Desso

• Frans Beckers and Ruud van Mierlo, Van Gansewinkel

• Helmuth Maurer en Leo de Vrees, European Commission

• Jos Koster, Gemeente Pijnacker

• Cees de Mol van Otterloo en Hester Klein Lankhorst, Afvalfonds

Verpakkingen / Kenniscentrum Duurzaam Verpakken

• Joris van der Meulen, Nedvang

• Aafko Schanssema, VMK

• Helene van Zutphen en Henk Klein Teeselink, Nederland Schoon

• Ulphert Thoden van Velzen, WUR

• Eamonn Bates, Pack 2 Go

• Jeroen Dagevos, Stichting De Noordzee

• Robert Gomez, PlasticsEurope

• Kees Donker, Unilever

37

Waste managementaround the North Sea

• !"#$%&'"(")%'%($&*%+",-%+.&/0$#$"(12()

• 3,++4&+25%*2()&2#&#06#$"(,"+&"(1&$7%&'"2(

#/0*8%&/9&+"(1:6"#%1&;+"#,8&<"#$%&2(&$7%

=/*$7&3%"

• >0*$7%*&2';*/-%&<"#$%&'"(")%'%($

Photo: Jan Andries van Franeker, IMARES,

2012

38

Current policy situationin the EU

• ?@&"(1&(",/("+&;/+282%#&2(&1%-%+/;'%($

• 0(+5%26%7,8/.+9%(.:%;2'-*+('%<-''&2(&?@&$/&"11*%##

;+"#,8&'"*2(%&+25%*&"(1&<"#$%&'"(")%'%($&2##0%#A

>/80#&/(&*%1082()&+"(1&B++2()4&%#;%82"++.&2(&3/0$7%*(

"(1&?"#$%*(&'%'6%*&#$"$%#

• C+"#,8&'"*2(%&+25%*&2(&$7%&=/*$7&3%"&2#&8/(#21%*%1&"

=-.2,%-))7/&2(&$7%&?@

39

ACTIONS BY INDUSTRY

• Problem recognized by global plastics industry (2011)

including Dutch Plastics Deferation NRK en PlasticsEurope;

dozens of actions Operation Clean Sweep, see Marine Litter

Solutions

• Desso, Sabic, DPI, Chemelot, Van Gansewinkel, Kruidenier,

Nederland Schoon

• Cosmetics industry in the defensive, only Unilever showed

leadership by declaring it will stop using microplastics

• Retail reactive: HEMA, Etos, De Tuinen, Rituals, Kruidvat en

Trekpleister avoid products containing microplastics (2012)

• Business will not solve the problem

40

Current situation:business and NGOs

• D//&9%<&8/';"(2%#&*%8/)(2E%&$7%2*

2(12*%8$&;*/108%*&*%#;/(#262+2$.&9/*&;+"#,8

'"*2(%&+25%*

• =FG&"8,/(#&"*%&"+#/&+2'2$%1

• 382%(,#$#&8"((/$&#/+-%&$7%&;*/6+%'

• D7%*%&2#&"&+/$&/9&H(/<+%1)%&"(1&%I;%*2%(8%

60$&2(#0J82%($&"8,/(

41

Current plastics chains inEurope

42

Towards circular plasticschains

3/0*8%K&?++%(

L"8M*$70*

>/0(1",/(

N?L>O4&PQRP

43

PML and the circulareconomy

• D/&6//#$&"8,/(&")"2(#$&;+"#,8&'"*2(%&+25%*

*%S02*%#&8/0;+2()&2$&$/&$7%&8/(8%;$#&/9&T2*80+"*

?8/(/'.

• D7%&T2*80+"*&?8/(/'.&;72+/#/;7.&2#&2(7%*%($+.

";;%"+2()4&.2%+12()&%8/(/'28"+&6%(%B$#4

%8/+/)28"+&6%(%B$#&!"#&%(7"(8%1&8//;%*",/(

• ?+%'%($K&>*/'&/<(%*&$/&0#%*

• L"*H%$&9"2+0*%#&"$&#%-%*"+&+%-%+#&(%%1&$/&6%

"11*%##%1&NUL3MVT2*8+%&?8/(/'.4&PQRWK&RX

#$%;#&$/&/-%*8/'%&PP&6"**2%*#O

44

What could this mean inpractice?

• T/';"*2#/(&(%%1%1&/9&;+"#,8&;*/108$#&"(1&"+$%*(",-%#&/-%*&$7%

8/';+%$%&'-6/%+9+'/4&2(8+012()&%(1:/9:+29%&"(1&62/1%)*"1"62+2$.

• >/)-8.&9/*&*%108%4&*%0#%4&*%8.8+2()4&1%8/';/#2,/(&"(1&#06#%S0%($

*%)%(%*",/(4&(/(:+25%*2()&/9&;+"#,8#&"(1&9/*&'2(2'"+&2';"8$&/9

+25%*%1&;+"#,8#&/*K&1%#2)(&"&)/,?-+/@&!"#$%&#%;'()*+)

• M-/21&;/$%(,"+&$/I28&#06#$"(8%#&"(1&'"$%*2"+&12-%*#2$.

• 3%;"*"$%&62/1%)*"1"6+%&9*/'&8/(-%(,/("+&;+"#,8#

• Y%-%+/;&RQQZ&62/6"#%1&"(1V/*&62/1%)*"1"6+%&'"$%*2"+#

45

Conclusion

L/*%&"8,/(&/(&;+"#,8&'"*2(%&+25%*&2#&(%%1%1&$/K

RA [%108%&+25%*2()4&%#;%82"++.&/9&#7/*$:8.8+28

;"8H")2()&'"$%*2"+#

PA M88%+%*"$%&T2*80+"*&C+"#,8#&T7"2(#

WA M872%-%&"6#/+0$%&1%8/0;+2()&6%$<%%(&;+"#,8#&0#%

"(1&2$#&%(-2*/('%($"+&2';"8$&$7*/0)7&*%'"2(2()

+%"H#

46

Recommendation 1:Reduce Littering

• L"H%&'"*2(%&+25%*&"&;*2/*2$.&/9&%I2#,()&+25%*2()&*%108,/(

8"';"2)(#&"(1&;*%-%(,/(&#87%'%#A

• M;;+.&(%<&2(#2)7$#&2(&2(\0%(82()&6%7"-2/0*&/9&;%/;+%&$/

+25%*2()&;*%-%(,/(&#87%'%#A

• L"H%&<"#$%&2(9*"#$*08$0*%&+/)28"+&"(1&8/(#2#$%($&$/&%("6+%

"0$/'",8&6%7"-2/0*A

• Y%-%+/;&"112,/("+&2(8%(,-%#&9/*&8/(#0'%*#&$/&#%;"*"$%&"(1

*%8.8+%&$7%2*&<"#$%4&%A)A&2((/-",-%&;".:6"8H&#87%'%#A

• ?(8/0*")%&8+%"(:0;&/9&#$*%%$&+25%*4&%A)A&-/+0($"*.&8+%"(:0;

8"';"2)(#&"(1&#$*08$0*"+&#87%'%#A

• 37"*%&6%#$&;*"8,8%#&2(&+25%*2()&";;*/"87%#&"(1&2($%(#29.

8//;%*",/(&6%$<%%(&;06+284&60#2(%##&"(1&=FG&2(2,",-%#A

47

Recommendation 2:Accelerate circular chains

Economy &market

Policy

Coordination& cooperation

Technology &infrastructure

Niche(early movers in a linear world)

Transformation / system change (changing the business environment)

Dialogue on strategies, priorities,responsibilities, costs & benefits

Mandatory integrated reporting and truepricing

Powerful waste managementcoordinator

Investments in technologies & systems

Decoupling & cascading ambitions &strategies

Design for recycling

True pricing and integrated reporting

Review quality standards

Marketing & promotion

Regulation, taxes, levies, bans

Circular pilots & business models Scale-up of collection & recyclingschemes

Studies on market failures & market-based instruments

Collection, sorting, separation, recycling anddegradation technologies & systems

Logical and comfortable collection schemes

Index + incentives for circularity

Research & development

Resource Identification Tag Systems(RITS)

48

Recommendation 3: Decoupleeconomic growth frommaterial use

300

200

100

200019801960

400

500

600

700

2020 2040

Global plastic production Mtonne/y

Business as usualtotal plastic produced by2050: ~ 33 billion tonnes

Factor 2 andcatching up

1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Strategy

Optimize lightweight

design

Minimize single-use

disposable products

Prolong product

lifetimes

Cleaner production

Reuse products

Reuse components

Mechanical recycling

Chemical recycling

Replace products by

services

Ban of high impact

plastic products

49

CONTACT

Dr. Arthur ten Wolde

IMSA Amsterdam - Sustainability & Innovation

Prins Hendriklaan 15

NL-1075 AX Amsterdam

THE NETHERLANDS

T +31 20 5787624

E arthur.ten.wolde@imsa.nl

W www.imsa.nl

Follow us on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/IMSA_Amsterdam

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