European Policy Developments Around Plastic Pollution | SOAS University of London
Channel: SOAS University of London
Date: 30/10/2018

This Seminar titled "European Policy Developments Around Plastic Pollution" was given by Tatiana Lujan (Client Earth) at the Law, Environment and Development Centre (LEDC), SOAS University of London on 25 October 2018. Find out more about this event at http://bit.ly/2RjHfGI

Plastics are an integral part of modern life. Their functionality, paired with their low cost, have caused a twentyfold increase in plastics production since 1964, with consumption rising in tandem. Approximately 50% of plastics are used for single-use disposable applications, such as packaging, agricultural films and disposable consumer items. In Europe, 59% of plastic waste generation comes from packaging. Not all plastic waste is properly collected and even when it is, it can escape collection and processing systems and pollute the environment. If present trends continue, the amount of plastic making its way into the oceans is forecast to double between 2010 and 2025, rising from approximately 8 million metric tons in 2010 to 9 million in 2015 to 16 million in 2025. We will explore the effects of plastic pollution on wildlife, ecosystems, climate change, human health and the economy and discuss the current policy and legislative developments in Europe and the UK and their appropriateness to tackle the mounting problem of plastic pollution.

Tatiana Lujan is a lawyer from Colombia and a Wildlife Conservation lawyer associated with Client Earth, a renowned organisation engaged in environmental protection through advocacy, litigation and science. Earlier, she worked for the firm of one of the renowned environmental lawyers of Colombia, Julio Enrique Gonzalez, on several environmental issues. Before joining Client Earth, she was a research assistant in London School of Economics where she worked on the relations between China and Latin America and its impact on quality and enforcement of environmental regulations in the region.

Contact email: ledc@soas.ac.uk