Second International Symposium on Plastics in the Arctic & Sub-Arctic Region: Symposium Summary

Plastic pollution is of ever-growing concern. It is a well-known fact that plastic litter is omnipresent in our environment and the eventual destination for much plastic waste is the oceans. Even in the Arctic region,plastic pollution is widespread. There is now a great urgency for actions to stem the plastic tide. Recently, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a broad negotiating mandate for a new legally binding international agreement to end plastic pollution. The new agreement is expected to include provisions to promote national and international co-operative measures to reduce plastic pollution in the marine environment.