Measures to address marine plastic leakage through a circular economy approach : meeting report : Tuesday 8 September 2020.
Date: 2021-12-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment
Subjects: circular economy, environmental protection, marine pollution, plastics, report, waste management

Measures to address marine plastic 
leakage through a  
circular economy approach

Tuesday 8 September 2020 

Meeting Report

Environment

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EU Online Workshop 

Measures to address marine plastic leakage 
through a circular economy approach 

Tuesday 8 September 2020 

Meeting Report 

Executive Summary 

This report provides a summary of a half-day online workshop, organised by the European Union (EU) 
to  explore  different  aspects  related  to  the  circular  economy  and  its  opportunities  for  reducing  the 
leakage of plastics in the ocean. The workshop contributed to Saudi Arabia’s 2020 Presidency of the 
G20  on  safeguarding  the  Planet,  in  particular  the  marine  environment,  and  followed  up  on  the  G20 
Action  Plan  on  Marine  Litter  (2017)  and  the  G20  Implementation  Framework  for  Actions  on  Marine 
Plastic Litter (2019). The workshop was divided into three sessions.  

The  first  session  was  on  ‘Addressing  the  sources  of  plastic  waste  through  circular  economy 
approaches’.  The  first  presentation  of  the  session  highlighted  the  necessity  of  adopting  a  circular 
economy approach, covering both upstream and downstream aspects. The following two presentations 
covered the application of the circular approach in Indonesia and the European Union, within the context 
of existing and proposed legislation. The remaining presentations in the session covered more specific 
aspects.  Examples  were  provided  of  a  range  of  economic  instruments,  such  as  extended  producer 
responsibility (EPR) schemes that have been effective at reducing plastic leakage. It was argued that 
such instruments can provide an alternative or complementary means to encourage behaviour change 
and  may  be  more  successful  than  legislation  alone.  The  impact  of  Abandoned  Lost  or  otherwise 
Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG) was the topic of the next presentation. ALDFG has the greatest social, 
economic  and  environmental  impact  of  any  category  of  litter,  and  a  range  of  measures,  such  as 
improved gear marking and port reception facilities, are being developed to minimise this. The final talk 
concerned plastic waste associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, due to increased demand in both the 
medical/care  and  retail  sectors.  This  has  caused  an  unprecedented  shock  to  waste  management 
systems even in advanced economies. 

Session  2  addressed  the  ‘The  global  dimension’.  The  three  presentations  covered  examples  of 
international  and  regional  governance  frameworks.  The  MARPOL  Annex  V  of  the  MARPOL 
Convention, administered by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), bans the disposal of plastic 
waste from any vessel. An Action Plan against marine litter was adopted in 2018, containing specific 
measures to support implementation of Annex V, including training and awareness-raising. A plastic 
waste amendment was introduced into the Basel Convention in 2019, and the Plastic Waste Partnership 
was launched in the same year. The main aim is to encourage environmentally sound management of 
plastic  waste  at  all  geographic  scales.  The  final  presentation  described  the  framework  of  regional 
governance provided by regional seas conventions. The case of HELCOM, covering the Baltic Sea, 
was used as an example of an effective mechanism for regional cooperation in monitoring marine litter 
and developing appropriate reduction measures. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Measures to address marine plastic leakage through a circular economy approach 

Session  3  took  the  form  of  a  panel  discussion,  with  five  panellists  from  diverse  backgrounds 
representing  governance,  academia  and  the  non-profit  sector  in  Africa,  Asia,  Europe  and  North 
America. The panel was asked to consider two questions. The first covered the G20 Action Plan and 
the G20 Implementation Framework, and what role this might play for both G20 and non-G20 countries. 
There  was general  agreement  that  the  approach  was  productive  and  that  non-G20  members  would 
benefit  greatly  from  following  this  approach.  This  second  question  concerned  whether  a  new 
international framework was required to prevent the leakage of plastic waste into the ocean. There was 
general agreement that aspects of the current framework were helpful but that gaps existed that need 
to be addressed. Some panellists were supportive of a new international framework but there was an 
acknowledgement that a multi-stakeholder approach, across the value chain, would be required.  

A key conclusion from the workshop was that the G20 is at the centre of much of the activity on plastic 
waste reduction at regional and global scale, and that the G20 actions are also relevant to non-G20 
members. The importance of a lifecycle approach and of designing out waste, as well as of exploiting 
the circular economy model and tools were underlined. There is scope and a need, over and above 
what the G20 has already done, to do more to address marine plastic litter upstream. The EU hopes 
more progress can be made at the fifth meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-
5).  The  Covid-19  pandemic  has  thrown  up  great  challenges,  dominating  much  of  the  current  G20 
Presidency of Saudi Arabia, but there is an opportunity to ‘build back better’ in the post-pandemic world. 
Both the EU and the Government of Saudi Arabia look forward to continuing their collaboration under 
the coming G20 Presidencies of Italy and Indonesia. 

Background 

The G20 Workshop on ‘Scientific Knowledge and Innovative Solutions for Marine Plastic Litter’1 was 
co-organised by the European Union, Japan and the United States on 8 October 2019 in Tokyo, back-
to-back with the G20 Resource Efficiency Dialogue (9-10 October 2019)2, in support of the G20 Action 
Plan on Marine Litter and the G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter3. 

As  a  follow-up  to  the  workshop  and  as  a  contribution  to  Saudi  Arabia’s  Presidency  of  the  G20  for 
safeguarding the Planet, in particular the marine environment, the EU organised an online workshop 
on ‘Measures to address marine plastic leakage through a circular economy approach’ on Tuesday 8 
September  2020.  The  workshop  attracted  approximately  100  participants  and  the  presentations  are 
available  online 4 .  The  workshop  followed  Japan’s  online  workshop  on  7  September  2020  on 
‘Harmonized monitoring and data compilation of marine plastic litter’5. 

The EU approach to plastic production and use is based on the Plastic Strategy in a Circular Economy6 
adopted  by  the  European  Commission  in  January  2018.  The  Strategy  is  the  first  EU-wide  policy 
framework adopting a material-specific life-cycle approach integrating design, use, reuse and recycling. 
It  also aims  at  increasing  the  uptake  of  recycled  content, supporting  efforts  for  decarbonisation  and 
creating  additional  opportunities  for  growth.  Marine  plastic  litter  is  addressed  through  the  Marine 
Strategy Framework Directive7, which requires the achievement of good environmental status for EU 
waters, the Port Reception Facilities Directive8, aiming to reduce the discharges from ship generated 

1 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issues/pdf/File 2 - G20 Marine Plastic Litter Workshop (Tokyo 8 October 
2019) - Report.pdf. 
2 https://g20mpl.org/archives/612. 
3 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/good-environmental-status/descriptor-10/pdf/G20 Implementation Framework for 
Actions on Marine Plastic Litter.pdf. 
4 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issues/relations_g20_events_en.htm. 
5 https://g20mpl.org/archives/893. 
6 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_waste.htm. 
7 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/marine-strategy-framework-directive/index_en.htm. 
8 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019L0883&rid=10. 

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waste, including from fishing vessels, and the Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic 
products  on  the  environment9,  targeting  the  top  10  single-use  plastic  products  most  often  found  on 
Europe’s  beaches  and  seas  as  well  as  fishing  gear  containing  plastics.  Finally,  the  European 
Commission  has  started  preparatory  work  to  restrict  microplastics  intentionally  added  to  products10, 
e.g. in cosmetics or detergents, as well as to reduce releases of microplastics from other sources11, 
such as tyres, textiles and pre-production plastic pellets. 

Opening Session 
Introduction, opening statements and housekeeping 

Chair: Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate-General for 
Environment, European Commission 

Ms  Schomaker  welcomed  participants  to  the  virtual  workshop.  She  explained 
the rationale of the workshop in the context of commitments made by Japan, the 
USA  and  the  EU  within  the  framework  of  the  G20  marine  litter  action  plan, 
agreed  in  2017  under  the  Presidency  of  Germany,  and  the  Implementation 
Framework for Actions of Marine Plastic Litter, agreed during the Presidency of 
Japan in 2019. These commitments continued under the Presidency of Saudi 
Arabia  in  2020,  noting  that  Saudi  Arabia  were  to  hold  the  G20  Environment 
Ministerial meeting a few days after the workshop (on 16 September 2020). The 
original intention had been to hold a more comprehensive face-to-face meeting, 
dealing with sources, pathways and effects of marine litter. This had to be revised once the restrictions 
imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic intervened, and the decision was made to focus on reducing plastic 
leakage through the application of the circular economy approach.  

Ms Schomaker reminded the audience of the need to balance the advantages and disadvantages of 
plastics, citing their utility during the current pandemic. However, there was justified concern over the 
continuing increase in production, accompanied by increased waste generation and carbon emissions, 
under a business-as-usual scenario. 

Mr Osama I. Faqeeha (Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of Environment, 
Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) started by thanking the EU for 
organising  the  workshop  and  acknowledged  the  leadership  on  plastic  issues 
shown  by  Japan  during  their  2019  Presidency.  In  addition,  he  pointed  out  the 
participation in the workshop of key experts and organisations from many parts 
of the world, illustrating the recognition that a global approach was necessary, to 
address this global problem. He reminded the audience of the significant impacts 
of  marine  litter  on  coastal  communities,  such  as  in  the  fisheries  and  tourism 
sectors,  as  well  as  the  environment.  The  theme  of  the  Saudi  Arabian  G20 
Presidency  was  ‘Realizing  the  Opportunities  of  the  21st  Century  for  All’.  The 
programme  was  composed  of  three  pillars:  ‘Empowering  People’,  ‘Safeguarding  the  Planet’  and 
‘Shaping  New  Frontiers’.  The  first  G20  environment  ministerial  was  taking  place  under  the  pillar 
‘Safeguarding the Planet’, aimed at safeguarding the environment for future generations. The health of 
the ocean was integral to achieving this aim. In addition to marine litter, the Saudi Arabia Presidency 
was focussed on two other environmental challenges, working closely with other G20 countries and 
other stakeholders: land degradation and loss of biodiversity; and, protection of coral reefs. Mr Faqeeha 
stated that this workshop, together with the monitoring workshop held the previous day, represented 
an important milestone in continuing the dialogue of strengthening cooperation to address marine litter. 

9 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj. 
10 https://echa.europa.eu/hot-topics/microplastics. 
11 https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/strategy/support-policy-making/scientific-support-eu-policies/group-
chief-scientific-advisors/environmental-and-health-risks-microplastic-pollution_en. 

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Recap of Japan’s workshop on ‘Harmonized monitoring and data compilation of marine plastic 
litter’ (7 September 2020) 

Mr  Tatsuya  Abe  (Deputy  Director,  Office  of  Marine  Environment,  Ministry  of  the 
Environment, Japan) provided a summary of the discussions of the workshop on 
‘Harmonized monitoring and data compilation of marine plastic litter’ that had taken 
place the previous day, the 7th September. He started by thanking Saudi Arabia for 
continuing  the  marine  plastic  litter  theme  under  its  Presidency.  He  provided  the 
context of the workshop, with harmonized monitoring being a key component of 
the Implementation Framework. The Osaka Blue Ocean Vision, agreed at the 2019 
G20 Osaka Summit, had received the support of over 80 countries so far. Mr Abe 
pointed out the contribution this approach was making to achieving several of the 

SDG targets, including: 12.1, 12.4 12.5, 14.1 and 14.2. 

Mr Abe described the structure and content of the workshop and reported on progress in creating a 
Global Network Hub for the sharing and display of monitoring data. He concluded by reiterating the 
importance of data sharing and the need to promote the harmonisation of monitoring methods. A report 
of the meeting and copies of the workshop presentations are available online12. 

Session 1 – Addressing the sources of plastic waste through circular economy 
approaches 

Chair: Ms Emmanuelle Maire, Sustainable Production, Products and Consumption, Directorate-
General for Environment, European Commission 

Ms Maire explained that the intention of this session was to explore the contribution 
of circular economy approaches to preventive measures against the background of 
the G20 Marine Litter Action Plan and the Implementation Framework for Actions on 
Marine Plastic Litter, as well as relevant UNEA resolutions. The session would cover 
advances in product and material design, resource efficiency measures, regulation 
and  marked-based  instruments.  In  addition,  there  would  be  an  opportunity  to 
consider the specific challenges posed by the management of plastic waste resulting 
from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The need for a comprehensive circular economy approach to address plastic pollution at its 
source 

Mr  Sander  Defruyt  (Lead,  New  Plastics  Economy,  Ellen  MacArthur 
Foundation) said that the Ellen MacArthur Foundation focused on solutions. 
He had three key messages to deliver: 
i)  The  circular  economy  approach  was  the  only  solution  to  address  the 
problem  at  source.  It  was  not  sufficient  to  improve  waste  management. 
Similarly, resource efficiency was very useful but could not in itself provide the 
ultimate solution, as it still maintained a linear economy. 
ii)  There  is  a  need  for  upstream  solutions,  calling  for  a  re-think  of  current 
business models, eliminating waste by design. This approach has been endorsed by many businesses, 
governments and investors, and implemented locally though ‘Plastic Pacts’.  
iii)  Recycling will continue to be needed as a downstream solution. At present, it is often cheaper to 
use  virgin  oil  than  recycled  plastics  and  to  counter  this  would  require  structural  gaps  in  recycling 
economics to be eliminated. 

12 https://g20mpl.org/archives/893. 

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He cited the recent ‘Breaking the Plastic Wave’ report13, written jointly by Pew Charitable Trusts and 
SYSTEMIQ,  for  providing  a  comprehensive  rationale  for  adopting  such  an  approach.  It  had  been 
estimated  that  a  comprehensive  improved  recycling  system  would  cost  around  of  USD30  billion 
annually.  He  argued  that  a  combination  of  approaches  was  needed,  including  improved  regulatory 
mechanisms and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and that this approach was being 
embraced by an increasing number of businesses. 

Indonesia’s approaches in addressing marine plastic litter through circularity actions 

Mr  Novrizal  Tahar  (Director  of  Waste  Management,  Ministry  of  Environment, 
Indonesia) was unable to give his presentation on the role of the circular approach 
to  address  plastic  waste  in  IndonesiaHowever,  his  presentation  has  been  made 
available on the meeting website. 

Instead, Mr Noer Wardojo (Ministry of Environment, Indonesia) was invited to make 
an intervention on Mr Tahar’s behalf. He explained that Indonesia updated its circular 
economy  national  action  plan  on  plastic  debris in  May,  covering  the  period  2020-
2025.  An English version is available14. He pointed out the importance of adopting 
a  circular  economy  approach  to  meet  obligations  under  SDG  12  on  Sustainable 
Consumption and Production and informed the meeting that a policy document has been prepared and 
will  be  launched  soon,  covering  the  period  2020-2030.  The  circular  economy,  (including  plastics 
management), will be included in the framework, which is intended to integrate initiatives on low-carbon 
energy and changing behaviours, in both business and society. Mr Wardojo concluded by saying that 
Indonesia would like to share their SDG12 policy initiative with the wider international community on a 
future occasion. 

EU legislative instruments to address marine plastic litter  

Mr Michel Sponar (Deputy Head of Unit, Marine Environment and Water Industry, 
Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission) provided a summary 
of  relevant  EU  legislation.  A  key  element  of  the  strategy  is  the  European  Green 
Deal15, intended to allow the EU to move  progressively towards a carbon neutral 
society.  Some  measures  have  already  been  adopted,  including  the  Circular 
Economy  Action  Plan  and  the  Plastics  Strategy 16 .  Other  measures  are  under 
development, such as a zero-pollution action plan, due for adoption in 2021. A key 
principle  is  prevention  of  waste  generation.  The  challenge  is  to  transform  this 
ambition  into  concrete  action.  Within  this  overall  framework  are  several  specific 
instruments such as the Single Use Plastic Products Directive17, which focuses on 
the most common items found on European beaches (the top 10 types of items represent 43% of the 
marine  litter  recorded,  fishing  gear  accounts  for  another  27%,  making  70%  in  total).  The  Plastics 
Strategy  contains  a  number  of  objectives,  for  example:  by  2030,  all  plastic  packaging  should  be 
recyclable; and the proportion of plastics recycled should increase to 50%. The EU has also a collection 
objective  of  90%  by  2029  for  plastic  beverage  bottles  recycled  should  be  increased  to  90%.  Other 
important  legislation  includes  the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive 18.  This  includes  targets  for 
Good  Environmental  Status  in  relation  to  plastics  (Descriptor  10)  and  actions  to  promote  the 
harmonisation of monitoring. The Waste Framework Directive has been extended to included marine 

13 https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/07/breakingtheplasticwave_report.pdf. 
14 https://globalplasticaction.org/wp-content/uploads/NPAP-Indonesia-Multistakeholder-Action-Plan_April-2020.pdf. 
15 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en. 
16 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_waste.htm 
17  Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment https://eur-
lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/904/oj 
18 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/marine/eu-coast-and-marine-policy/marine-strategy-framework-directive/index_en.htm. 

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plastic waste in the national waste management plans. In addition, plastic leakage in the aquaculture 
sector is covered by a certification scheme and recommended Best Available Techniques. The shipping 
sector  is  covered  by  the  implementation  of  MARPOL  regarding  port  reception  facilities  (EU  Port 
Reception Facilities Directive), and an extension to include fishing vessels and recreational craft. The 
strategy  for  dealing  with  microplastics  includes:  banning  the  intentional  inclusion  of  microplastics  in 
products;  banning  the  use  of  oxo-degradable  plastics;  adopting  a  common  European  approach  to 
reducing particle emission from vehicle tyres and textiles; developing an audit and certification scheme 
for pellets used in industry; and, strengthening the role of producer responsibility. Concerning marine 
plastic litter, measures are being introduced to address some of the most common items of marine litter, 
such as a ban on plastic cotton buds. For items that are difficult to ban, such as packaging, the EU is 
introducing  EPR  schemes  such  that  the  producer  has  to  pay  for  the  collection  and  recycling.  This 
approach has been extended to cover the cost of clean-up and for awareness-raising of the public of 
other items like cigarette butts for instance. Finally, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive19 is 
under review with a focus on the management of microplastics, to make sure that microplastics are 
captured in the treatment plants and reduce the quantity incorporated in the sludge and released on 
farmland. 

Q&A Session 

Q1. One participant asked about microplastics and dealing with the uncertainty over the effectiveness 
of new measures. 

Mr Defruyt stressed the need to test new approaches, both for technological development and 
for policy development, and then analyse their effectiveness and share this information globally. 
He  referred  to  the  possibility  of  agreeing  on  a  new  binding  treaty  under  UNEA  and  that  one 
element could be an obligation to share good practices.  

Mr Sponar responded that an impact assessment has to be carried out prior to bringing new 
measures in EU legislation. One of the challenges being to make sure that adequate data and 
information is collected to provide evidence on the effectiveness of the proposed measures.  

Q2. Another participant raised the issue of plastics as a major driver of oil production.  

Mr  Defruyt  responded  that  there  was  a  contrast  with  certain  brands  pushing  non-plastic 
alternatives,  and  a  few  committing  to  a  circular  economy  approach,  while  some  energy 
companies were contending that oil demand would be maintained by demand for plastics – to 
avoid the potential of having assets. 

Q3. Mr Sponar was asked what the EU planned to do beyond seeking voluntary agreements regarding 
intentionally added microplastics.  

Mr Sponar referred to proposals under the Plastics Strategy and reiterated the experimental nature of 
some of the potential measures. Voluntary arrangements can be useful but may have their limitations, 
meaning that legislation might be necessary. He also pointed out the difficulty with harmonising 
measuring methods but stated that this is solvable and should not stop legislation. 

19 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-urbanwaste/index_en.html. 

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Extended Producer Responsibility, Deposit Return Schemes and other market-based 
instruments 

Mr  Peter  Börkey  (Organization  for  Economic  Cooperation  and  Development,  - 
OECD)  argued  that  market-based  instruments  (MBIs)  can  provide  a  very  useful 
contribution in reducing plastic waste generation by: increasing material efficiency, 
creating slower material loops and closing material loops. The OECD has produced 
a  policy  toolkit  of  options.  He  maintained  that  MBIs  generally  are  preferable  to 
legislative  instruments  as  they  can  produce  an  income  stream  and  promote 
innovation. However, where toxicity is concerned, legislation may be needed. One 
example of an effective MBI is implementing taxes of single use plastics, best seen 
on plastic bags, citing the 2018 UNEP report ‘Single-use Plastics – a Roadmap for 
Sustainability’20. OECD is preparing a report on the effectiveness of this measure 
and corresponding policy guidance.  The adoption of EPR schemes has increased significantly with 
over 73% of the population covered by EPR for packaging in OECD countries, contrasting with 13% 
worldwide.  Take-back  schemes  for  packaging  are  common  in  Europe  and  Australia  while  beverage 
container deposit schemes  are more prevalent in the USA and Canada. There is a need to expand 
existing schemes to cover all packaging and to increase the geographic coverage beyond the OECD, 
as well as applying EPR of such schemes and extend them to other sectors that are important sources 
of ocean plastics such as fisheries, agriculture and tyre manufacturers. 

Addressing abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear and their impacts 

Ms  Ingrid  Giskes  (Director  of  the  Global  Ghost  Gear  Initiative  (GGGI),  Ocean 
Conservancy) focused on the problem of Abandoned Lost or otherwise Discarded 
Fishing  Gear  (ALDFG),  also  called  ‘ghost  gear’.  It  has  the  greatest  impact 
(ecological, social and economic) of any category of litter. ALDFG results due to 
both direct and indirect causes. Most causes are direct, resulting from accidental 
loss.  Fishing  gear  is  expensive  and  fishers,  in  general,  do  not  want  to  lose  it. 
However, indirect losses are often linked to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated 
(IUU)  fishing21,  with  gear  being  deliberately  discarded  to  avoid  detection  when 
intercepted, as well as boat operators being unable to land old gear. The term 
‘ghost fishing’ refers to the phenomenon that gear may remain effective at catching fish even after loss. 
This is most common with pots and fish traps, gillnets and Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs). It has 
been  estimated  that  between  5  –  30%  of  harvestable  stocks  are  lost  in  this  way,  depending  on  the 
fishery. This represents a substantial loss of income and threatens food security. Published data of the 
estimated quantities of ALDFG lost each year date back to 1975, but a new study will be published by 
FAO and IMO through GESAMP Working Group 43 in early 2021. In addition to MARPOL Annex V22, 
FAO has introduced a number of instruments of which the voluntary guidelines for the marking of fishing 
gear  is  probably  the  most  important.  The  GGGI  launched  the  Best  Practise  Framework  for  the 
Management  of  Fishing  Gear  (BPF)  in  2017  providing  detailed  guidance  to  prevent,  mitigate  and 
remediate  gear  loss.  Ms  Giskes  explained  that  the  GGGI23 was  a  global  initiative,  bringing  together 
many governance bodies, industry partners, academia and not-for-profit organisations. It has produced 
a number of training tools and knowledge products, has undertaken more than 17 projects – for example 
gillnet marking in Indonesia, and hosts a global data portal with the largest ghost gear dataset in the 
world. 

20https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/25496/singleUsePlastic_sustainability.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence
=1. 
21 http://www.fao.org/iuu-fishing/en/. 
22 MARPOL Annex V seeks to eliminate garbage being discharged into the sea from ships. More information is available at 
http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/Garbage/Pages/Default.aspx  
23 https://www.ghostgear.org/ 

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Waste management during a pandemic – leakage of Covid-19 related plastic litter to the 
environment 

Mr  Mushtaq  Ahmed  Memon  (Regional  Coordinator  for  Resource  Efficiency, 
Asia Pacific Regional Office, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 
Bangkok)  described  UNEP’s  response  to  the  Covid-19  pandemic 24 .  He 
explained  how  the  pandemic  had  resulted  in  a  significant  increase  in  the 
prevalence of single-use plastics in waste streams. A large part of the increase 
was occurring in medical settings related to medical interventions and the need 
for  Personal  Protective  Equipment  (PPE).  This  included  face  shields  (PP), 
plastic gowns (LDPE), vinyl gloves (PVC), disposable bags, tubes and masks. 
Another component was PPE used in the care sector and by the general public. 
A third significant contribution came from packaging as footfall in shops and food outlets decreased to 
be replaced by a surge in home deliveries of groceries and other forms of e-commerce, and an increase 
in ‘take-away’ meals from food outlets. This has been accompanied by a decrease in recycling, partly 
due to concerns about contamination. This shock to the system was set within the context of UNEP’s 
support for ‘Sustainable Lifestyles for Plastics’, referring to potential policy actions set out in a 2015 
Switch  Asia  report 25 .  The  focus  is  on:  awareness  raising;  providing  guidance  and  training;  and 
promoting  low  carbon  lifestyles.  Such  lifestyle  changes  can  be  encouraged  by  supporting 
entrepreneurship, exemplified by the Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyles Challenge26. UNEP is working 
with the Asian Institute of Technology on a range of issues related to the use of plastics during the 
Covid-19  pandemic,  including  more  detailed  data  analysis,  identifying  research  gaps  and  proposing 
solutions  and  good  practice.  The  aim  was  to  achieve  a  producer-consumer  interactive  platform,  to 
improve quality of life in the ‘new-normal’ of the pandemic and create a win-win for pandemic-related 
and post-pandemic plastic. 

Q&A Session 

Q4 Mr Memon was asked about evidence of the longer-term impact of pandemic-related waste.  

Mr Memon responded that UNEP was aware of reports in the media and on social media of 
increases in plastic litter during the pandemic but wanted to look at the evidence in more detail. 
For this reason, UNEP teamed up with the Asian Institute of Technology to carry out a detailed 
analysis that would help to answer this question.   

Q5. Mr Börkey was asked about the use of alternatives to plastics. It was pointed out that there had 
been examples of substituting alternatives to plastic bags without conducting an adequate Life Cycle 
Assessment  (LCA),  where  the  impact  was  displaced  elsewhere.  A  shift  to  greater  re-use  of  plastics 
could be more beneficial. Were there examples of where alternatives give a better LCA result? 

Mr  Börkey  agreed  that  this  was  an  important  challenge,  particularly  when  measures  were 
targeted at particular single-use plastic items. It needs a lot of information about the markets 
and intended outcomes to bring about changes in consumer behaviour, for example, without 
incurring  unwanted  effects.  A  good  example  of  effecting  change  was  Ireland,  with  the 
introduction of the plastic bag tax.  

24 https://www.unenvironment.org/covid-19 
25 https://www.iges.or.jp/en/publication_documents/pub/policyreport/en/5349/SC-Guide-For-Policymakers%28low-
resolution%29.pdf 
26 https://www.unenvironment.org/regions/asia-and-pacific/asia-pacific-low-carbon-lifestyles-challenge 

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Q6.  Ms Giskes was asked about the use of a deposit refund scheme for fishing gear as an effective 
way of creating incentives for fishers to pick up lost gear that belonged to others. 

Ms Giskes gave examples of successful schemes for encouraging fishers not to dispose of old 
or  unwanted  gear.  This  included  supplying  materials  for  the  production  of  new  goods  from 
retrieved gear, giving an additional income stream. 

Session 2 – The global dimension 

Chair: Mr Hugo Maria Schally, Head of Unit, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, Directorate-
General for Environment, European Commission 

Mr  Schally  welcomed  everyone  to  the  second  session.  He  explained  that  the 
session  would  provide  an  opportunity  to  hear  more  about  some  of  the  existing 
international instruments designed to reduce the leakage of plastics into the ocean 
and explore how G20 countries can contribute. 

IMO Action Plan against marine litter 

Mr  Loukas  Kontogiannis  (Head  Marine  Pollution,  Subdivision  for  Protective 
Measure,  International  Maritime  Organisation  (IMO))  outlined  the  legislative 
background to the IMO Action Plan against marine litter, in particular the provision 
under Annex V of the MARPOL Convention27. Annex V has been in force since 
December 1988 and  has been subject to a number of amendments. There are 
153 Parties to the Annex, covering 99% of world tonnage. It contains a complete 
ban  on  the  disposal  of  all  forms  of  plastic,  including  fishing  gear.  It  includes 
obligations  for  flag  states,  port  states  (inspection,  port  reception  facilities)  and 
coastal  states  (establishing  sanctions  for  violations,  surveillance  at  sea).  The 
Action Plan was adopted in October 201828. It is intended to enhance existing measures and improve 
awareness  on  boats  and  contains  specific  measures  to  reduce  the  loss  of  fishing  gear.  Measures 
include improved gear marking, training and awareness-raising (in multiple languages), and incentives 
to retrieve derelict gear.  

Basel Convention – Plastics Waste Partnership 

Ms  Susan  Wingfield  (Secretariat  of  the  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm 
Conventions,  United  Nations  Environment  Programme,  Geneva)  explained 
that a plastic waste amendment (adopted in decision BC-14/12) was introduced 
to the Basel Convention (BC) at COP14 in April-May 2019, effective as of 1st 
January 2021, detailed in three annexes. The amendment widens the scope of 
plastics covered by the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure. The PIC is 
designed  to  control  the  transboundary  movement  of  hazardous  and  other 
waste.  Additionally,  the  Plastic  Waste  Partnership  (PWP)  under  the  Basel 
Convention (established by its decision BC 14/13) was launched in November 

27 http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/Garbage/Pages/Default.aspx 
28 http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/20-marinelitteractionmecp73.aspx 

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201929. The main goal is to improve and promote the environmentally sound management (ESM) of 
plastic waste at global, regional and national levels. Currently the membership consists of 106 entities 
made up of Parties, industry and NGOs. The first face-to-face meeting took place in March 2020, hosted 
by the Seychelles Government. The PWP has been asked to undertake a number of tasks, including: 
advancing the prevention, minimisation, collection and ESM of plastic waste; undertaking pilot projects; 
improving information collection and dissemination; and, encouraging innovation and R&D. The work 
of the partnership is overseen by a working group which has established four project groups which are 
in the process of generating possible pilot projects30. The groups cover:  

i)  prevention and minimisation;  
ii)  plastic waste collection, recycling and other recovery including financing and related markets;  
iii)  transboundary movements; and,  
iv)  outreach, education and awareness-raising. Other elements include a small grants programme 

and a photographic competition. 

A pilot project programme31 was also initiated under the partnership, with Parties to the Convention, 
regional  centres  and  not-for-profit  entities  being  invited  to  submit  proposals  for  funding  to  the  BRS 
Secretariat. 

The role of Regional Seas Conventions – the example of HELCOM 

Ms  Maria  Laamanen  (Ministry  of  Environment,  Finland)  pointed  out  that  the 
Regional Seas organisations cover a significant proportion of the ocean space32. 
Many have established marine litter action plans or are in the process of doing 
so.  HELCOM33 has  a  well-established  regional  Action  Plan  for  the  Baltic  Sea, 
aimed  at  achieving  good  environmental  status.  It  introduced  a  specific  action 
plan for marine litter in 201534. This contains a number of actions covering land- 
and sea-based actions and themes. All coastal States carrying out monitoring 
operate  a  harmonised  programme  for  beach  litter.  The  Secretariat  enables 
HELCOM to act as a major information hub and report on the state of the Baltic. 
On-going  activities  include  developing  best  practice  for  the  disposal  of  old 
fibreglass  pleasure  boats.  The  FanpLESStic-sea  project 35 (2019-2021)  is  designed  to  identify  the 
relative importance of different sources of primary and secondary microplastics. It will include a review 
of  existing  policies  and  research;  modelling  to  simulate  transport  pathways;  potential  removal 
technologies and solutions; and, identifying key barriers to the implementation of removal technologies. 
Other  activities  include  identifying  possible  measures  to  reduce  the  load  of  expanded  and  extruded 
polystyrene (EP and XPS respectively) and cooperation on deposit refund systems. The Action Plans 
will be updated in 2021 and are planned to address the circular economy more generally. 

29http://www.basel.int/Implementation/Plasticwaste/PlasticWastePartnership/Consultationsandmeetings/LaunchofPWP/tabid/
8411/Default.aspx 
30 http://www.basel.int/Implementation/Plasticwaste/PlasticWastePartnership/Projectgroupsandactivities/tabid/8410/Default. 
31 
http://www.basel.int/Implementation/Plasticwaste/PlasticWastePartnership/CallforPWPpilotprojectproposals/tabid/8494/Defa
ult.aspx 
32 https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/oceans-seas/what-we-do/working-regional-seas/regional-seas-
programmes. 
33 https://helcom.fi/. 
34 https://helcom.fi/action-areas/marine-litter-and-noise/marine-litter/marine-litter-action-plan/. 
35 https://helcom.fi/helcom-at-work/projects/fanplesstic-sea/. 

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Q&A Session 

Q7. Ms Wingfield was asked about the types of capacity development activity the PWP could undertake 
to support emerging markets in improving environmentally sound management of plastics.  

Ms Wingfield responded that the pilot projects would offer the potential to do this, acknowledging 
that  transboundary  issues  would  require  increased  tracking  capacity,  particularly  since  the 
decision by China to restrict plastic waste imports. 

Q8. Mr Kontogiannis was asked if MARPOL was applicable to land-locked countries.  

Mr Kontogiannis responded by explaining that some land-locked countries maintained shipping 
registries,  which  meant  they  were  obliged  to  implement  MARPOL.  In  other  cases,  some 
countries had adopted similar measures in lakes and river, although IMO was not involved.  

Ms Lamaanen intervened to mention that Belarus and Ukraine, which are land-locked countries 
in  the  Baltic  Sea  catchment,  have  Observer  status  in  HELCOM.  So  far  rivers  had  not  been 
identified  as  key  litter  sources.  However,  urban  wastewater  is  considered  a  source  of 
microplastics and work is being done to improve wastewater management to remove not just 
nutrients and organic matter but microplastics as well. 

Q9. Ms Laamanen was asked, by a representative from the Center for International Environmental Law 
(CIEL), how chemical contamination was addressed by HELCOM and what the relationship was with 
other conventions.  

Ms Laamanen  responded that chemical contamination was included in the Baltic Sea  Action 
Plan, in the context of EU and international regulation, but that it was important to identify region-
specific pollution issues. 

Q10. Ms Wingfield was asked about collaboration between the BRS Secretariat and Regional Seas.  

Session 3 – Panel Discussion: Meeting the challenges of addressing plastic leakage to 
the ocean – next steps 

Chair: Mr Steve Fletcher, Member of the International Resource Panel, Professor of Ocean Policy 
and Economy, Director of Revolution Plastics, University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom 

The  Chair,  Mr  Fletcher,  welcomed  participants  to  the  Panel  Discussion.  He 
explained that the purpose of the Panel Discussion was to build on the two 
previous sessions, Session 1 dealing with circular approaches and Session 2 
covering  international  activities.  The  panellists  would  be  encouraged  to  say 
how they saw G20 members moving forward in addressing plastic leakage to 
the environment, particularly seas and oceans, from their perspectives.  

The five panellists were as follows: 

−  Mr  Nguyen  Que  Lam,  Deputy  Director-General,  Vietnam  Administration  of  Sea  and  Island 

(VASI), Vietnam 

−  Mr  Hugo  Maria  Schally,  Head  of  Unit,  Multilateral  Environmental  Cooperation,  Directorate-

General for Environment, European Commission 

−  Ms Linda Godfrey, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Professor at Northwest 

University, South Africa 

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−  Mr  Satoru  Iino,  Deputy  Director,  Office  of  the  Marine  Environment,  Ministry  of  Environment, 

Japan 

−  Ms  Winnie  Lau,  Senior  Manager,  Prevention  of  Ocean  Plastics,  The  Pew  Charitable  Trusts, 

United States of America 

For the first question panellists were invited to address what the G20 had done to date, following the 
adoption of the Action Plan in 2017 and the Implementation Framework last year, and whether that was 
sufficient. 

Mr Nguyen  Que Lam noted that, in 2020, Vietnam was chair of ASEAN, a non-
permanent  member  of  the  UN  Security  Council  and  chair  of  the  ASEAN  Inter-
Parliamentary  Assembly.  In  this context,  Vietnam  sees  plastics  waste  as  a  high 
priority issue in ASEAN countries. ASEAN will continue to implement a cooperative 
marine  waste  approach,  implement  national  action  plans,  and  adopt  a  land-sea 
programme36 supported  by  Japan.  The  EU  and  ASEAN  countries  in  June  2019 
jointly  committed  to  developing  a  circular  economy  for  plastics  in  the  ASEAN 
region37, and an international plastic waste centre is being built to help deal with 
the problem.  

Mr Hugo Maria Schally elaborated on the process leading to the definition of the 
EU Plastic Strategy and on insights gained that could be of interest to those G20 
members  that  are  developing  national  approaches  in  response  to  the  G20 
Framework.  One  of  the  major  insights  of  developing  the  Strategy  was  that  it  is 
necessary to deal with plastics along the whole lifecycle. It is necessary to include 
elements  of  the  upstream  value  chain  to  enable  governments,  industry  and 
consumers  to  tackle  this  issue  effectively.  This  should  include  the  choice  of 
materials and design of products, and it is necessary for information, such as the 
chemical composition of materials, to be passed along the whole value chain. This 
will help empower governments to make the right decisions and encourage more 
cost-effective waste management. The EU also compared the effectiveness of voluntary measures 
with  strengthening  the  legislative  framework,  to  create  a  level  playing  field  for  business.  This  is 
something G20 countries may wish to consider in relation to their trading partners. 

Ms  Linda  Godfrey  explained  that  the  G20  Implementation  Framework  is  very 
relevant  to  countries  in  Africa.  It  demonstrates  the  need  to  adopt  a  systems 
approach.  This  must  include  technological  innovation,  in  terms  of  sustainable 
production and consumption, and improving the end-of life solutions. But it is also 
about  creating  an  enabling  environment.  Are  we  driving  a  strong  science-
technology agenda and encouraging Public Private Partnerships? A key question 
is are we seeing the translation of policy into practical guidance at a municipal 
level? There is an important message for the African continent from South-east 
Asia that the plastics issue must be sorted out now, before there is a repeat of 
the same problems seen there. Africa is seen as a growing market, with a growing 
middle class and the expectation of greater consumption of single-use plastics. But, there is a need to 
balance the need to reduce plastic waste with the benefits of using plastic packaging, such as providing 
safe food and drinking water, and allowing access to sanitary and medical products in small quantities 
that would otherwise be unavailable. There is no silver bullet and we therefore need to be a suite of 

36 https://environment.asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ASEAN-Framework-of-Action-on-Marine-Debris-FINAL.pdf 
37 https://asean.org/eu-asean-committed-towards-circular-economy-plastics-asean-region/ 

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interventions. This is one of the biggest innovation challenges for Africa. For example, can we get goods 
and services to people using alternative delivery methods? Can Africa leapfrog the problem? 

Mr  Satoru  Iino  reminded  the  audience  about  the  Osaka  Blue  Ocean  Vision, 
launched in 2019, which had the aim of reducing additional inputs of plastic to the 
ocean to zero by 2050. It has been shared by about 60 non-G20 countries so far, 
as  well  as  in  the  outcome  documents  of  meetings  of  ASEAN  countries.  At  the 
core of the Implementation Framework are the actions of Member States. As a 
follow-up to the Framework, Member States have been invited to submit country 
reports  on  their  actions  to  the  current  Presidency  of  the  G20,  which  is  Saudi 
Arabia in 2020. The submissions will be incorporated into the 2nd G20 Report on 
Actions  against  Marine  Plastic  Litter,  to  be  published  officially  at  the  G20 
Environment Ministers Meeting chaired by Saudi Arabia, on 16th September. The 
Osaka Blue Ocean Vision provides an opportunity to promote a long-term global vision and develop 
solutions within an environment of peer-to-peer learning.  

Ms Winnie Lau referred to ‘Breaking the Plastic Wave’, the report conducted by 
the  Pew  Charitable  Trusts  and  SYSTEMIQ.  The  report  looked  at  different 
scenarios  for  dealing  with  waste.  The  ‘business  as  usual’  scenario,  which 
includes recycling, predicts significant future cost, in the region of 100 billion US$ 
annually by 2040. If the current levels of government spending were projected, 
this would leave a gap of 40 billion US$. The study looked at a number of different 
strategies around improved waste management and recycling and predicted the 
need for significant infrastructure spending. Importantly the  quantity of  plastics 
ending up in the ocean would be slightly higher than today’s level. The most cost-
effective scenario includes 50:50 upstream and downstream solutions, which would save governments 
about 70 billion US$ over the next 20 years and reduce plastic leakage into the ocean by about 80%.  
There is a significant role for G20 countries to support this change in the current plastic economy, such 
as reducing the consumption of single use plastics and packaging.  

The  second  question  was  related  to  the  circularity  aspects  discussed  in  session  1,  specifically  on 
whether  there  was  scope  for  improving  the  current  international  framework  for  addressing  plastic 
leakage to the environment, or whether current governance arrangements were sufficient. 

Ms Lau thought that the present governance framework can help, but there is a need to work across 
the whole value chain and involve all stakeholders. Some areas could be improved. For example, there 
is  a  need  for  greater  enforcement  to  tackle  the  illegal  waste  trade  and  to  make  sure  that  receiving 
countries can deal with imported waste without negative impacts on their ability to deal with domestic 
waste. There is an opportunity for a new international framework to contribute to lowering the demand 
for  the  conversion  of  virgin  fossil  fuels  to  plastic.  In  addition,  it  could  help  to  support  harmonised 
monitoring and provide a mechanism for financial and technical support to developing countries. There 
is  also  a  need  to  emphasize  and  improve  communication  between  regional  and  international 
frameworks.  More  emphasis  is  needed  on  microplastics  that  enter  the  environment,  such  as 
microbeads,  microfibers,  plastic  pellets  and  tire  dust,  as  there  are  fewer  solutions  to  tackle  these 
primary sources of microplastic pollution. 

Mr  Iino  explained  that  he  was  Acting  Chair  of  the  ad  hoc  open-ended  expert  group  on  marine  litter 
(AHEG), set up under UNEA resolution 3/7. Member States (MS) had been asked to identify potential 
national,  regional  and  international  response  options  to  AHEG  and  a  technical  briefing  had  been 
organised by AHEG to  analyse the  responses.  He explained that AHEG is trying to adopt a  neutral 
position, not suggest a ‘best option’. However, from the responses received there were five key common 

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aspects: i) there is need for a common vision; ii) the importance of a Life Cycle Approach – different 
MS  place  a  higher  or  lower  emphasis  on  upstream  or  downstream  aspects;  iii)  the  importance  of 
national  action  plans,  taking  account  of  the  national  context;  iv)  the  example  of  existing  multi-
stakeholder  partnerships  such  as  SAICM;  and,  v)  possible  options  for  strengthening  these  points  – 
some MS recommend a global international agreement, whereas for others this is too complex. 

Ms Godfrey observed that a lot of focus has been on downstream solutions such as improved recycling 
and waste management. There is great opportunity to improve this in Africa, particularly in the post-
Covid  economic  recovery  with  the  possibility  to  fast-track  solutions  and  provide  job  opportunities. 
Public-Private Partnerships are needed to jointly solve some these issues, with transparency being key. 
It is very important to acknowledge and integrate the informal sector. One difference is that companies 
can be forced to improve within the EU, but this does not always translate to in developing countries. 

Mr Schally gave an EU perspective on the current international framework. He reminded the audience 
that  every  UNEA  since  UNEA-2  has  passed  a  resolution  agreeing  that  business  as  usual  is  not  an 
option.  This  has  been  accompanied  by  a  mushrooming  of  initiatives  at  national,  regional  and 
international levels. At the same time there has been a significant increase in the production of plastics 
and its leakage into the environment. However, work within the G20 has shown that we are not going 
to solve the problem focussing only on waste management, but a whole life cycle approach is required. 
It is clear that there are international frameworks designed to look at particular elements of the problem. 
However, what is lacking is a common approach and understanding that would help to deal with the 
economics of plastics leakage. On this basis the EU does think that we need to move towards a new 
international framework, and the next opportunity to do this will be at UNEA-5. The framework needs 
to be designed to allow all stakeholders to take part and take account of the global value chain. 

Mr Que Lam explained that Vietnam has been importing large and increasing volume of waste plastic. 
For example, on average 91,000 tonnes was imported in the period 2013-2017. In the first five months 
of 2018 the plastic waste imports doubled. There is a risk of Vietnam becoming the recipient of other 
countries  waste  problems.  ASEAN  countries  are  fully  supportive  of  the  amendment  to  the  Basel 
Convention  on  restricting  the  importing  of  plastic  waste,  and  prevention  and  enforcement  actions  to 
curb the illegal trade in waste. ASEAN Environment Ministers have undertaken to ban the importation 
of waste plastic from other countries and share information. Vietnam supports the creation of a new 
global agreement, moving towards a circular economy and financing support for implementation. 

Mr Fletcher summed up the Panel Discussion by highlighting three key messages: 

1.  The need to own the problem across the whole plastics life cycle; i.e. all stakeholders need to 

be involved; 

2.  Recognition that upstream activities are the real priority; and  
3.  If we want to see some form of system change, actions at a national or sub-national level are 

not enough, opening up the discussion about some form of global agreement. 

He concluded by thanking all the panellists for their excellent contributions. 

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Closing Session 

Chair:  Ms  Astrid  Schomaker,  Director,  Global  Sustainable  Development,  Directorate-General  for 
Environment, European Commission 

Ms Schomaker thanked all the chairs, panellists and presenters for their contributions, which made the 
workshop  a  success.  She  reminded  the  audience  that  a  report  would  be  prepared,  and  the 
presentations  would  be  made  available  online38.  Clearly  a  lot  of  activity  was  happening  at  national, 
regional and global scales, involving industry, national governments, Regional Seas and UN agencies. 
The G20 was at the centre of much of this action, but the work of the G20 had much greater relevance 
beyond the G20, and this had been illustrated during the meeting. There is an urgent need to step up 
monitoring pathways and impacts, in order to target better reduction measures and check their efficacy. 
Unfortunately, there was no ‘silver bullet’ and it was necessary to adopt a broader systemic approach. 
This needs to involve a lifecycle approach involving all actors. Designing out waste is the way forward 
and this will promote economic and technical innovation, benefitting government and industry, as well 
as benefitting the environment. This is the case both for developed and developing countries. There is 
scope and a need over and above what the G20 has achieved already, individually and collectively, 
and the EU hopes that additional progress can be made at UNEA-5. Finally, Ms Schomaker thanked 
the Governments of Japan and Saudi Arabia for their fruitful collaboration and looked forward to the 
Presidencies of Italy and India, to lead further action within the G20. 

Mr Abdulmohsen Alshnaif (CEO of the National Centre of Waste Management in the Kingdom of Saudi 
Arabia) gave some concluding remarks on behalf of Mr Faqeeha. He expressed his thanks to all those 
involved in the workshop, and to the insights of the contributors, especially on the application of the 
circular economy approach.  He acknowledged the actions of fellow G20 countries, and how these can 
contribute  to  international  actions  in  combating  plastic  leakage  to  the  ocean.  In  the  context  of  the 
activities in 2019 under the Presidency of Japan, on marine litter and resource efficiency, the Kingdom 
of Saudi Arabia is proud to support such actions within the priorities of the 2020 Presidency. A key 
challenge has been the need to respond quickly and effectively to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was 
recognised by the holding of an extraordinary leaders meeting in March 2020, where undertakings were 
made to save human life and restore economic well-being and set out a path to achieve sustainable 
and equitable growth. It is essential to maintain focus and ‘build back better’, in this way protecting the 
environment.    Today’s  workshop  is  an  important  step  towards  safeguarding  the  ocean,  our  global 
commons, from the threat posed by marine litter. This discussion will continue during the forthcoming 
environment on 14-15 September and at the meeting of Environment Minister of 16 September. The 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will continue to support this work in its Troika role during the Italian Presidency. 
Mr Alshnaif concluded by repeating his appreciation of the workshop and offering continuing support 
during the remaining period of the 2020 Presidency. 

Ms Schomaker ended the meeting by repeating her thanks to the chairs, presenters and panellists and 
expressed hope that the workshop would stimulate further ideas and actions. 

38 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/international_issues/relations_g20_events_en.htm 

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12:00 
13:00-
13:25 

13:00-
13:15 

13:15-
13:25 

13:25-
15:05 

13:25-
13:35 

13:35-
13:45 

13:45-
13:55 

13:55-
14:10 
14:10-
14:20 

FINAL AGENDA 

Log-on 
Opening Session 
Chair: Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate-
General for Environment, European Commission 

Introduction, welcoming statements and housekeeping 

−  Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate-

General for Environment, European Commission 

−  Mr Osama I. Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of 
Environment, Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

Recap of Japan’s workshop on ‘Harmonized monitoring and data compilation of marine 
plastic litter’ (7 September 2020) 

−  Mr Tatsuya Abe, Deputy Director, Office of Marine Environment, Ministry of the 

Environment, Japan 

Session 1 – Addressing the sources of plastic waste through circular economy 
approaches 
Chair: Ms Emmanuelle Maire, Sustainable Production, Products and Consumption, 
Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission 

Against the background of the G20 Marine Litter Action Plan and the Implementation 
Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter, as well as relevant UNEA resolutions, 
this  session  aims  at  exploring  the  contribution  of  circular  economy  approaches  to 
preventive  measures.  Advances  in  product  and  material  design,  resource  efficiency 
measures,  regulation  and  marked-based  instruments  will  be  among  the  topics 
discussed.  This  session  will  also  offer  an  opportunity  for  exchange  on  the  specific 
challenges posed by the management of plastic waste and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The need for a comprehensive circular economy approach to address plastic pollution 
at its source 

−  Mr Sander Defruyt, Lead, New Plastics Economy, Ellen McArthur Foundation 

Indonesia’s approaches in addressing marine plastic litter through circularity actions 
−  Mr Novrizal Tahar, Director of Waste Management, Ministry of Environment, 

Indonesia 

EU legislative instruments to address marine plastic litter  

−  Mr  Michel  Sponar,  Deputy  Head  of  Unit,  Marine  Environment  and  Water 

Industry, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission 

Q&A 

Extended Producer Responsibility, Deposit Return Schemes and other market-based 
instruments 

−  Mr Peter Börkey, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

(OECD) 

14:20-
14:30 

Addressing abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear and their impacts 
−  Ms Ingrid Giskes, Director of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, Ocean 

Conservancy 

14:30-
14:40 

Waste management during a pandemic – leakage of Covid-19 related plastic litter to 
the environment 

−  Mr Mushtaq Ahmed Memon, Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency, Asia 
Pacific Regional Office, United Nations Environment Programme, Bangkok 

Page 16 of 23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EU Online Workshop  
Measures to address marine plastic leakage through a circular economy approach 

14:40-
15:05 
15:05-
15:15 
15:15-
16:00 

15:15-
15:25 

15:25-
15:35 

15:35-
15:45 

15:45-
16:00 
16:00-
16:50 

Q&A 

Comfort break 

Session 2 – The global dimension 
Chair: Mr Hugo Maria Schally, Head of Unit, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, 
Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission 

This  session  will  explore  international  action  to  address  plastic  litter  leakage  to  the 
environment, notably the seas and oceans, and how G20 members can contribute to it. 

IMO Action Plan against marine litter 

−  Mr  Loukas  Kontogiannis,  Head  Marine  Pollution,  Subdivision  for  Protective 

Measure, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 

Basel Convention – Plastics Waste Partnership 

−  Ms Susan Wingfield, Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm 

Conventions, United Nations Environment Programme, Geneva 

The role of Regional Seas Conventions – the example of HELCOM 
−  Ms Maria Lamaanen, Ministry of Environment, Finland 

Q&A 

Session 3 – Panel Discussion: Meeting the challenges of addressing plastic 
leakage to the ocean – next steps 
Chair: Mr Steve Fletcher, Member of the International Resource Panel, Professor of 
Ocean Policy and Economy, Director of Revolution Plastics, University of Portsmouth, 
United Kingdom 

Building on the two previous sessions, participants will exchange views on how they see 
G20  members  moving  forward  in  addressing  plastic  leakage  to  the  environment, 
particularly seas and oceans. 

−  Mr Nguyen Que Lam, Deputy Director-General, Vietnam Administration of Sea 

and Island (VASI), Vietnam 

−  Mr Hugo Maria Schally, Head of Unit, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, 

Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission 

−  Ms Linda Godfrey, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and Professor 

at Northwest University, South Africa 

−  Mr Satoru Iino, Deputy Director, Office of the Marine Environment, Ministry of 

Environment, Japan 

−  Ms  Winnie  Lau,  Senior  Manager,  Prevention  of  Ocean  Plastics,  The  Pew 

Charitable Trusts, United States of America 

16:50-
17:00 

Closing Session 
Chair: Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate-
General for Environment, European Commission 

Concluding remarks and take-home messages 

−  Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Directorate-

General for Environment, European Commission 

−  Mr Osama I. Faqeeha, Deputy Minister for Environment, Ministry of 
Environment, Water and Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

Page 17 of 23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welcoming session

Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Environment
Directorate General, European Commission

A lawyer by training, since joining the Commission in 1992, Astrid has held a variety of
posts in the areas of international relations and environment policy, amongst them
leading the work on chemical policy, marine issues and the environment policy strategy
to 2020.

Dr Osama I. Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Saudi Arabia
Osama Faqeeha is the first deputy minister for Environment in the ministry of
Environment, Water and Agriculture since 2016. Prior to that he was active in
environmental protection in the energy industry in KSA. He oversees the development
of the National Environmental Strategy and the restructuring of the environmental
sector in KSA which includes creating five national environmental centers and a national
environmental fund. He also oversees the development of a new environmental
regulations that was recently promulgated. He is a Board member of many national
entities in KSA and leads KSA international Environmental engagements.

Mr Tatsuya Abe, Deputy Director, Office of Marine Environment, Ministry of the
Environment, Japan

Mr. Tatsuya Abe has worked for Ministry of the Environment, Japan since 2010, as a
technical officer. He has been involved in various environmental
issues including
pollution from transport, environment impact assessment, and sewerage management.
Being born and raised in Fukuoka near the coast, he has been familiar to sea. He earned
master degree in Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan in 2010.

 
 
 
Session 1

Ms  Emmanuelle  Maire,  Head  of  Unit,  Sustainable  Production,  Products  and  Consumption, 
Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission 
Emmanuelle Maire works at the European Commission in Brussels, in the Directorate general 
for Environment (DG ENV). She heads the team responsible for Sustainable Production, Products 
and Consumption. The core activity of the team is to support the transition to a circular and 
green economy in the European Union, through a new Circular Economy Action plan under the 
EU Green Deal: 
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-
economy/pdf/new_circular_economy_action_plan.pdf  

Mr Sander Defruyt, Lead, New Plastics Economy, Ellen McArthur Foundation 
Sander  leads  the New  Plastics  Economy  initiative,  an  ambitious,  global  initiative  bringing 
together key stakeholders to rethink and redesign the future of plastics, starting with packaging. 
Through the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and network of Plastic Pacts, more than 
850 organisations around the world have united behind a common vision of a circular economy 
for plastics and concrete 2025 targets to help realise that vision. 
Before  joining  the  Foundation,  Sander  worked  as  a  management  consultant  at  McKinsey  & 
Company. During his period at McKinsey's Centre for Business and Environment he was part of 
the core team publishing the report, Growth Within: a circular economy vision for a competitive 
Europe. Sander has a background in mechanical engineering. 

Dr Novrizal Tahar, Director of Waste Management, Ministry of Environment, Indonesia
Dr. Novrizal Tahar has expertise in political science and environmental pollution control and
management.

He has working experience from Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of
Indonesia from over two decades. He has also been Head of HRD Developing and Planning,
Head of Bureau Communication, Secretary to Directorat General Law Enforcement and Head of
Regional Bali and NTT.

Mr Michel Sponar, Deputy Head of Unit, Marine Environment and Water Industry, Directorate-
General for Environment, European Commission

Michel has been working since December 2015 as Deputy Head of Unit at the European
Commission, Directorate-General for the Environment. He is co-leading a team dealing with
Marine Environment and Water Industry. His team is involved in particular with the
implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive,
including work related to
monitoring and marine litter quantities and impacts. He was directly involved in the elaboration
of the EU Strategy for Plastics and its follow-up regarding plastic litter, in particular the Single
Use Plastics Directive and work on microplastics.

Before then, he worked on the 2015 package on the Circular Economy and on the Thematic
Strategy on Air Pollution. Between 1991 and 2002, he was Deputy Head of the Environment
Minister’s Cabinet at the Brussels Region in Belgium.

His background is Bio Engineer (Scientific education) with a complement
Management.

in Business

 
 
 
Session 1

Mr Peter Börkey, Principal Administrator, Environment Directorate, OECD
Peter Börkey has been working on international and local environmental policy issues for 25
years. For the past 20 years he has worked for the OECD, primarily on issues relating to
water, business and environment, as well as infrastructure finance. He is now leading OECD
work on waste management and resource productivity, with a strong focus on resource
efficiency and the circular economy.

Prior to this, Mr Börkey has been leading OECD’s cooperation with countries in Eastern
Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus in the area of water management, as well as leading
work in the framework of the OECD Horizontal Water Programme focusing on the financing
of water supply and sanitation in developing countries.

Before joining the OECD, Mr Börkey worked as a consultant, specialized in environmental
economics. Mr Börkey holds degrees in Economics and Engineering from the Technical
University of Berlin and University of Grenoble in France.

Ms Ingrid Giskes, Director, Global Ghost Gear Initiative, Ocean Conservancy
Ingrid Giskes is the Director of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), where she leads the
GGGI’s policy agenda and portfolio of projects across more than 100 partners including 16
national governments. Through her work, she has spent time with artisanal fishers in
Vanuatu and Indonesia to mark and track their fishing gear, led government and corporate
roundtables, participated in gear removals and presented at high-level policy and industry
conferences including APEC, ASEAN, WCPFC, Our Ocean and the UN Ocean Conference. She
supported the Fisheries Technology Team at FAO to implement the Voluntary Guidelines
for the Marking of Fishing Gear (VGMFG) and the development of the Responsible Fishing
Operations Umbrella Programme. She holds a BSc in Germanic Languages and Philosophy, a
MSc in Germanic Languages, a MSc in Education and a MSc in International Relations,
Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. Previously, she undertook overseas development work
in Cambodia, lectured at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou (China), worked for Amnesty
International in Australia on refugee policy, and worked for World Animal Protection for 10
years in a variety of roles including as their International Head of the Sea Change
Programme overseeing the ocean portfolio of 15 country offices and chairing the Global
Ghost Gear Initiative.

Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Memon, Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency, Asia Pacific
Regional Office, United Nations Environment Programme, Bangkok

Dr. Memon is working with UN Environment (United Nations Environment Programme) as a
Regional Coordinator for Resource Efficiency in Asia Pacific Office located in Bangkok. He is
supporting resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production, green economy,
green financing, sustainable public procurement, sustainable tourism, sustainable industries
and various areas for Asia and the Pacific. He is also implementing EU funded SWITCH-Asia
Phase 2 component by UN Environment to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
especially SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production in the region.

Dr. Memon is also Project Manager for Regional Policy Advocacy Component of the EU-
funded SWITCH-Asia Programme to promote sustainable consumption and production and
uptake of SDG 12 in Asia. Until the end of 2016, Dr. Memon was working at UN
Environment’s office in Osaka, Japan (International Environmental Technology Centre
(IETC). He has more than 25 years of intensive experience in project planning and
management. He has implemented various international projects in many different sectors
including seaports, water supply, and waste management with a focus on international
cooperation for environmental services and sustainable development.

 
 
 
Session 2

Dr. Hugo Maria Schally, Head of Unit, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation,
Environment Directorate General, European Commission

Hugo has worked in the area of sustainability since 1991 as has held positions as head
of unit in the European Commission DGs for External Relations, Development and
Environment.

In his current function, he is coordinating the work of the European Commission with
regard to international environmental organisations and multilateral environmental
agreements, on trade and environment as well developing EU policies and legislation
regarding deforestation and forest degradation, international trade in wildlife and the
access to and sharing of the benefits derived from the utilisation of genetic resources.

0

Mr  Loukas  Kontogiannis,  Head,  Marine  Pollution,  Subdivision  for  Protective 
Measures, Marine Environment Division, International Maritime Organisation 
The  Marine  Pollution  team  at  the  International  Maritime  Organization  (IMO) 
facilitates  the  output  of  the  Organization  in  connection  with  requirements  and 
guidance on prevention of pollution by: oil; noxious liquid substances in bulk; harmful 
substances  carried  by  sea  in  packaged  form;  sewage  from  ships  and  garbage  from 
ships. Loukas is currently the Secretary to the Sub-Committee for Prevention Pollution 
and Response (PPR) and was also the Secretary to the Working Group that developed 
the IMO Action plan to address marine plastic litter from ships during the seventy-
third session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in 2017.  
http://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/Pages/Default.
aspx 
http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/20-
marinelitteractionmecp73.aspx  

Ms Susan Wingfield, Programme Officer, BRS Secretariat
Susan Wingfield is a Programme Officer in the Governance Branch of the Secretariat of 
the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions. Among her responsibilities is the 
facilitation of two partnerships under the Convention, on plastic waste and household 
waste, and coordination of the work of one of the Convention’s subsidiary bodies. 
Prior to her role at the Secretariat, Susan performed a variety of project management 
and consultancy roles within the UN, World Bank, UK government and banking, finance 
and IT sectors. Susan holds a Bachelor degree in economics and a Masters in 
environmental technology.

Ms Maria Lamaanen, Senior Ministerial Advisor, Ministry of Environment, Finland
In the ministry, my duties include coordination of implementation of the EU Marine 
Strategy Framework Directive, being Head of Delegation of Finland to HELCOM and 
being Finland’s nominated expert to UN Ad Hoc Open Ended Expert Group on Marine 
Litter and Microplastics. Aside from the ministry, I also work partly in Åbo Akademi 
University as Professor of Practice.

 
 
 
Session 3

Prof. Steve Fletcher, Director Revolution Plastics, University of Portsmouth, UK
Steve is Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy and Director of Revolution
Plastics at the University of Portsmouth. He is a coastal and ocean governance
specialist with a focus on plastic pollution. He is the Marine Lead of the UN
International Resource Panel and former Chief Strategy Officer of UNEP-WCMC.

Mr Satoru Iino, Deputy Director, Office of
Management Bureau,Ministry of Environment, Japan

the Marine Environmental

Since employed by the Ministry of the Environment Japan in 2003, he has been
involved in various environmental issues including minamata disease, policies
against climate change, and economic policy for environment. Since August
2019, he has been working for marine plastic pollution at current position. He is
a member of bureau of AHEG (the ad hoc open-ended expert group on marine
litter and microplastics) established under the UN Environment Assembly and is
currently serving as acting chair. He earned Bachelor's Degrees in Law from the
University of Tokyo.

Prof. Linda Godfrey, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and North-
West University, South Africa

Prof Linda Godfrey is a Principal Scientist at the Council for Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) and Extraordinary Professor at Northwest University
in South Africa, and holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of KwaZulu-
Natal. With over 20-years of sector experience, she manages the Waste
Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Roadmap Implementation Unit on
behalf of the Department of Science and Innovation, a unit tasked with
implementing South Africa’s 10-year Waste RDI Roadmap. She has provided
strategic input to a number of local, regional and international waste and
circular economy initiatives for the United Nations, European Union, World
Bank, South African Government Departments, Academy of Sciences,
International Solid Waste Association, universities and businesses. She lectures
internationally on solid waste management in developing countries, including
the social, economic and environmental opportunities of “waste” within a
circular economy context. She has published extensively in the field.

Mr. Nguyen Que Lam, Deputy Director General, Vietnam Administration of Sea 
and Island, Vietnam

Mr. Nguyen Que Lam, on behalf of the Vietnam Administration of Seas and
Islands, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam, Bachelor of Economics, Master of Business Administration.

- He had four years to work for the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (VCCI) since 2005-2008;

- From 2009 to 2012 He worked for Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA);

- From 2013 to 2019 He worked for Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization
(VUFO).

- In September 2019, He was promoted to be a Deputy Director General,
Administration of Sea and Islands of Vietnam (VASI), Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment
International
Cooperation, participated in the implementation of important strategies and
projects of VASI such as the Sustainable Development Strategy of Vietnam's
marine economy to 2030, a vision to 2045, The National Action Plan on marine
plastic waste management to 2030.

(MONRE). He is in charge of

 
 
 
Session 3

Dr Winnie Lau, Senior Manager, Preventing Ocean Plastics, The Pew Charitable Trusts, USA
Winnie Lau is senior manager with Pew’s preventing ocean plastics project, which aims to propose
economically and politically feasible strategies to reduce the global ocean plastic pollution
problem. Winnie is also the technical lead for the project. Winnie joined Pew’s international
conservation unit in 2014 and focused on developing strategies, new projects, and partnerships in
Asia. Before joining Pew, she was the climate change science and technology adviser for the
United States Agency for International Development’s mission to Sri Lanka and Maldives. She also
served as manager of the Marine Ecosystem Services Program at Forest Trends, as well as a
science and technology policy fellow for the American Association for the Advancement of Science
at the U.S. State Department. Winnie holds a bachelor’s degree in integrative biology and
environmental sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and doctorate in oceanography
from the University of Washington.

Mr Hugo Schally, 
Head of Unit, Multilateral Environmental Cooperation, Environment Directorate General,
European Commission

Hugo has worked in the area of sustainability since 1991 as has held positions as head of unit in
the European Commission DGs for External Relations, Development and Environment.

In his current function, he is coordinating the work of the EC with regard to international
environmental organisations and multilateral environmental agreements, on trade and
environment as well developing EU policies and legislation regarding deforestation and forest
degradation, international trade in wildlife and the access to and sharing of the benefits derived
from the utilisation of genetic resources.

Closing session

Ms Astrid Schomaker, Director, Global Sustainable Development, Environment Directorate
General, European Commission

A lawyer by training, since joining the Commission in 1992, Astrid has held a variety of posts in
the areas of international relations and environment policy, amongst them leading the work on
chemical policy, marine issues and the environment policy strategy to 2020.

Dr Osama I. Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Saudi Arabia
Osama Faqeeha is the first deputy minister for Environment in the ministry of Environment,
Water and Agriculture since 2016. Prior to that he was active in environmental protection in
the energy industry in KSA. He oversees the development of the National Environmental
Strategy and the restructuring of the environmental sector in KSA which includes creating five
national environmental centers and a national environmental fund. He also oversees the
development of a new environmental regulations that was recently promulgated. He is a Board
and leads KSA international Environmental
member of many national entities in KSA
engagements.