CANBERRA, Mar 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australia’s national science agency and the government, formed a partnership with Indonesia, to address plastic pollution in the Indo-Pacific.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), yesterday announced that, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), it has established the Plastics Innovation Hub Indonesia, with 1.3 million Australian dollars (950,745 U.S. dollars) in funding.
The hub will bring researchers, investors and the private and public sectors together, to collaborate on solutions to plastic waste in waterways in Indonesia and the wider region.
Larry Marshall, chief executive of CSIRO, said, through a collaborative approach, plastic pollution could become an environmental and economic benefit.
“Science can turn this environmental challenge into an economic opportunity, by changing the way we behave, and how we make, use, recycle or dispose of plastics, but it will take partnerships across research, business, investors, government and the community, to turn the best ideas into real-world solutions,” he said, in a media release.
“Social innovation is just as important as scientific innovation, in solving these challenges, so it’s exciting to have partners on the ground in the region, shaping and scaling behavioural response for their own communities, and drive change.”
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there are between 75 million and 199 million tonnes of plastic currently in the world’s oceans.
CSIRO estimates that, there are five to 10 billion individual pieces of plastic on coastlines, in the Indo-Pacific alone.
“The health of our oceans and waterways is linked to our nations’ economic growth and prosperity. Both Indonesia and Australia are island nations that share concerns about the impact of marine plastic pollution,” Penny Williams, Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, said.
“We hope this initiative encourages international partners in the region, to work together to develop robust measures, to identify effective interventions, fill research gaps, and maximise the impact of our joint investment of resources, to address this challenging issue,” Williams said.– NNN-AGENCIES