3rd Working Group Meeting: UNEP/EC Plastic Leakage Project

UNEP/EC Project Identifying and quantifying plastic contaminant sources and leakages into the aquatic environment 

This UNEP project, funded by the European Commission, supports the development of a methodology for estimating plastic pollution across the plastic value chain. 

The first Working Group meeting, held in Brussels in September 2024, brought together over 20 experts, UNEP, and European Commission representatives to establish a conceptual framework for the project. Participants agreed on the need for a practical toolkit to identify and quantify plastic pollution sources in aquatic environments, using leakage factors, material flow analysis, and spatial data. 

The second Working Group meeting focused on refining the methodology, discussing leakage factors, and validating the proposed toolkit based on existing approaches and the latest scientific evidence. 

The pilot toolkit has now been completed. This third Working Group meeting presented the final toolkit, including the Guiding Document and Operational Spreadsheet, and gathered feedback from members prior to its finalization and dissemination. 

>>> IETC's Projects on Sustainable Plastic Waste Management 

>> 1st Working Group meeting (3-4 September 2024 in Brussels, Belgium) 

>> 2nd Working Group meeting (3-4 July 2025 in Brussels, Belgium)