Macroplastics

Combined Approaches to Predict Microplastic Emissions Within an Urbanized Estuary (Warnow, Southwestern Baltic Sea)

Abstract: Microplastic river emissions are known to be one of the major sources for marine microplastic pollution. Especially urbanized estuaries localized at the land-sea interface and subjected to microplastic emissions from various sources exhibit a high microplastic discharge potential to adjacent coasts.

Factsheet 2: Valuable waste plastic - Floating recycling plant recovers plastics before they enter the sea

In this factsheet, joint project KuWert shows how plastic recycling can be profitable. The research team developed a floating recycling platform, mobile and independent of local structures. The system was tested in coastal cities in West Africa, where a lot of plastic ends up in the sea.

Plastic waste prevention at the municipal level

The discussion about plastic waste is anything but new for German municipalities. In fact, as early as the 1980s, numerous German municipalities were experimenting with plastic waste prevention regulations and waste prevention in general. A further impetus for plastic waste prevention was provided in the early 1990s with the discussions on the introduction of a nationwide packaging ordinance.

Plastics in the environment

To what extent can plastics be found in water, soil, air, in the oceans and on the coasts in Germany? How and why do they get there at all? Where is further research needed - and what measures can be taken to reduce the amount of plastics in Germany? On the occasion of the World Oceans Day on 8 June 2019, the German Environment Agency published a current overview.
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