Professor Steve Fletcher to give evidence at plastic waste inquiry on 18th January
Hear first-hand evidence from one of the country’s leading experts in plastic waste and pollution given live and direct to MP’s in a formal meeting of the Parliament’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA).
Professor Fletcher has been asked to appear as a witness before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Tuesday 18th January at 3.30pm (the meeting starts at 2.30pm) to give evidence in a Plastic Waste inquiry.
Professor Fletcher will be joined by Professor Michael Shaver, Director, Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, Professor of Polymer Science at University of Manchester, Jenny Grant, Head of Organics and Natural Capital at The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) and Richard Daley, Managing Director and CTO of chemical recycling company at ReNew ELP.
Professor Fletcher is Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy and Director of Revolution Plastics at University of Portsmouth. He is one of the top 10 most-cited scientists in the field of Marine Policy (Google Scholar), with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and research reports. He is Ocean Lead of the International Resource Panel by UN Environment, and former Chief Strategy Officer for the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
MP’s have asked Professor Fletcher to join them to cover the following plastic waste issues:
- how to improve the mechanical recycling sector (better sorting / closed loop systems primarily)
- issues in the organic recycling sector re compostable plastics
- the future role of nonmechanical/chemical recycling
- questions about the ‘circular’ nature of different types of recycling
- encouraging investment in the recycling sector (including discussion about government policies such as EPR, consistent local waste collections, plastic packaging tax and other measures that could be taken)
Professor Fletcher has recently been at COP26 where he announced the launch of the Global Plastics Policy Centre. The Centre is the first of its kind and will help find sustainable policy solutions to tackle plastic pollution around the world. It is designed to give governments and industry groups the evidence needed to make better decisions around plastic policies and ultimately help reduce the negative impacts of plastics.
Professor Fletcher says: “I am delighted the Select Committee is taking the issue of plastic waste seriously. We know that plastic pollution is exacerbating climate change and that every stage of the plastics life cycle directly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. It is vital that a systemic approach is taken to combat the problem of plastic waste.
At the University of Portsmouth we are addressing many of these issues and I look forward to sharing our knowledge with this group of MP’s.”
Visits to the public galleries at Westminster have been stopped until further notice but you can still watch live feeds of debates and committee hearings on Parliament Live TV.
You can watch this meeting live here:
https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/52618ecf-3090-4ea2-9deb-4180d1c3442d
