Marine litter is an important challenge we are facing today - a very complex issue affecting the  oceans, seas and rivers, harming nature in Europe and around the world. With the topic “Zero Plastics to the Oceans”, PlasticsEurope is pleased to announce the fifth edition of PolyTalk, a two day conference and exhibition on 16 and 17 March at the Egg Congress and Meeting Centre in Brussels, to meet, discuss and share joint solutions to marine litter.

PolyTalk was launched in 2010 to identify joint visions and opportunities through an open, constructive and forward-looking dialogue on controversial topics. PolyTalk 2016 will gather delegates from European and national policy and decision makers, representatives of non-governmental organisations, brand owners, designers, civil society and the plastics industry to open a constructive, multi-stakeholder dialogue on solutions to marine litter. The event will provide a dynamic forum where participants will discuss and identify challenges, opportunities and solutions to marine litter, best prevention practices (behaviour, waste management and product innovations), actions already taking place, the role of the new Circular Economy package in the prevention of marine litter, and more.

Following the inspiring “wake up call” by Professor Richard Thompson at the 2010 PolyTalk conference, PlasticsEurope became one of the co-founders of the global association coalition for Marine Litter Solutions in 2011, launched during the 5^th International Marine Debris Summit. Since then, PlasticsEurope has identified marine litter - along with waste management - as one of its core initiatives, supporting several joint prevention actions such as Zero Plastics to Landfill, and encouraging stakeholders from industrial, political, scientific, non-governmental and social spheres to act together to preserve our oceans and coastal areas.

Now, PlasticsEurope is offering PolyTalk as a platform to identify and understand the progress made to date by all stakeholders but also to provide room so that unresolved challenges are highlighted and tackled. The detailed 2016 conference programme can be found at www.polytalk.eu or www.plasticseurope.org.