From September 1-2, 2021, an international ministerial meeting was held to prepare a global agreement against marine litter and plastic waste pollution. The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and the German Plastics Industry Association (PED) support the global effort. On the initiative of the German Environment Minister, the meeting was also invited to promote a global agreement before the United Nations Environment Assembly in spring 2022. Ingemar Bühler, executive director of PED, sees a great opportunity in this area: "Plastic waste has no place in the environment. It must be collected and recycled. A global agreement on marine litter can make a valuable contribution to this We have thus not only protected the sea, but also the climate." However, Bühler is concerned about the handling of marine litter.
In March 2011, the Plastics Association launched a solution to marine litter in a global declaration. Currently, some 395 projects are underway or completed worldwide, including better waste management, beach cleanup and on-site training. Innovative solutions for plastics recycling play an important role in waste management. Bühler therefore emphasized, "Promoting circular economy innovation technology should be at the heart of the global agreement. Ultimately, it must be the use of waste to create new products and thus conserve resources." The German chemical industry also sees a great opportunity for plastics recycling: "Plastics are too good to end up as waste in the environment. When they are recycled, the use of fossil raw materials is reduced and the climate is protected.