Working Group on Marine Litter in Barcelona: Create a network

On 16 October 2015, 40 experts on Marine Litter participated in a workshop organized by the Waste Agency of Catalonia, with the following objectives:

• Present the work every specialist is doing on the subject in Catalonia, Spain and Europe.
• Knowing the weaknesses and possible solutions to the problem of marine litter in order to provide solutions to the problem in a wider consensus and effectively as possible, taking advantage of existing resources.
• Create a network of experts and organizations that serve as a space for experts to exchange knowledge and develop projects on marine litter.

Marine litter is is defined as junk or marine waste, any solid, regardless of size, and persistent manufactured from non-natural, which has been rejected, abandoned or deposited in marine environments and / or coastal. This definition includes those objects originating from human activities that reach the marine environment through rivers, sewage systems and wastewater or pushed by wind and waves from the terrestrial zone. An estimated 80% of marine waste comes from land and 20% of maritime activities.

More information about this working group and working documents here and information about marine litter here.