Portuguese Partnership
for Marine Litter

PREAMBLE

We are facing a critical moment in the history of our planet. Global challenges such as climate change and marine litter are at the forefront of environmental concerns, and the need to reverse current trends  of resource depletion and ecosystem destruction, the very foundations of life on Earth, is increasingly urgent.

To foster meaningful change, it is essential to unite efforts grounded in respect for the natural environment and universal human rights.

Scientific knowledge and progress have helped us understand the interdependence that connects us all, making it clear that solving environmental issues requires cooperation among individuals and  organisations.

In this context, the Portuguese Marine Litter Association (APLM) encourages individuals and organisations to actively engage in the creation of the Portuguese Partnership for Marine Litter (PPLM),  understood here as encompassing all forms of waste found on beaches, in the water, and on the seabed in coastal areas, including rivers, estuaries, and their banks, regardless of whether the source is land-based or marine.

The PPLM’s mission is to mitigate the negative impacts of marine litter in Portugal, on human health, the economy, and the environment, through actions that promote effective waste management and  reduction from both land-based and maritime sources. This partnership also aims to strengthen international cooperation among stakeholders, particularly through partnerships with other Portuguese-speaking countries that are members of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP).

The creation of the PPLM aligns with the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities, particularly the Global Partnership on Marine Litter  (GPML), launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2012.

​MARINE LITTER

Marine litter is defined as any persistent solid material, manufactured or processed, that is discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. It includes items that have been  produced or used by humans, and which are either deliberately or accidentally discarded in the sea, rivers, or on beaches, or transported there indirectly by watercourses, storms, wind, or animals.

Marine litter includes a wide range of materials such as plastic, metal, processed wood, rubber, glass, textiles, paper, as well as hygiene and medical products, among others. While the composition of  marine litter varies regionally, there is overwhelming evidence that plastic accounts for 80–90% of all litter found on beaches, coastlines, rivers, estuaries, and even the seafloor.

GLOBAL CONTEXT

Current patterns of production and consumption are the main drivers of environmental degradation — from chemical pollution to deforestation — with unpredictable long-term consequences. The alarming  rate at which non-renewable resources are being consumed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population threatens the survival of countless species, including humans.

Although growth dynamics are complex and geographically varied, it is possible to reverse or mitigate these impacts through a shift from a linear to a circular economic model. Contributions from various  fields of expertise, technical knowledge, and volunteer work, enabled through partnerships, can significantly enhance environmental education among both citizens and decision-makers, thereby supporting  the transition to more sustainable systems of production and consumption.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PPLM

To support the reduction of the negative impacts of marine litter in Portugal, APLM encourages individuals, governmental and non-governmental organisations to join forces in establishing the Portuguese  Partnership for Marine Litter. Its main objective is to reduce the ecological and economic impacts of marine litter on beaches and coastal waters including rivers, estuaries, and their banks, and to promote  the protection of ecosystems and human health.

The partnership will promote the creation of a Technical Committee, composed of experts from different sectors. This committee will define the Terms of Reference that will govern the PPLM and guide the  implementation in Portugal of the Honolulu Strategy, a global framework for coordinated action among civil society, governments, and the private sector, and the OSPAR Regional Action Plan for the  reduction of marine litter in the North-East Atlantic.

APLM will act as a coordinating platform for the Partnership and will work alongside partners to develop and implement best practices across public and private sectors, as well as within civil society.  These efforts will cover the production, distribution, sale, and consumption of materials and products, along with waste management and recovery, to prevent their entry into the marine environment.

One of the Partnership’s additional objectives is to promote the development of new approaches to marine litter management in alignment with internationally adopted goals and measures.

​PRINCIPLES

Based on the Honolulu Commitment, signed in March 2011, the PPLM is guided by the following principles:

• Promote a national network of committed stakeholders dedicated to understanding, preventing, reducing, and managing marine litter;
• Share information so that individuals and organisations can make informed choices to reduce waste generation and help prevent and reverse marine litter;
• Encourage citizens, industries, and governments to take joint responsibility and actively contribute to solutions for marine litter;
• Share technical, legal, policy, economic, and community-based solutions that support the prevention, reduction, and management of marine litter;
• Promote mechanisms that prioritise the prevention or minimisation of waste;
• Support initiatives that transform waste into resources in an environmentally sustainable manner, aligned with a circular economy model;
• Establish national targets for the reduction of marine litter;
• Improve and promote knowledge, understanding, and monitoring of the scale, nature, sources, and impacts of marine litter, while raising public awareness of its effects on human health,  biodiversity, and economic development;
• Collaborate with national and international organisations to strengthen the effectiveness of multilateral initiatives focused on the prevention, reduction, and management of marine litter;
• Contribute to the development and implementation in Portugal of the OSPAR Regional Action Plan for the reduction of marine litter, in line with the Honolulu Strategy, and support its periodic  review.

Lisbon, 16 September 2016