2021-11-8

Online Seminar on POP Wastes: BFRs and CPs in Waste and Recycling Streams
Friday 3 December 2021

In recent years, plastic waste management has become an urgent international issue. Many countries are promoting the recycling of plastic resources. Meanwhile, some plastic additives, such as certain brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and plasticizers (short-chain chlorinated paraffins, SCCPs), have been added to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) for elimination and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) are suggested for listing. Since plastic products containing POP-BFRs and CPs are diverse and difficult to identify, there might be a considerable amount of dilution and diffusion of POPs through plastic and other polymer material recycling.

Our group, which is supported by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (grant number ERTDF3-1901/JPMEERF20193001) of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan, is currently developing a research project focused on occurrence of BFRs and CPs in end-of-life plastic products and recyclates. One specific goal of this project is to develop and promulgate a simple quantitative method for determination of the contents of the POPs in plastic waste. It is expected that the method will facilitate implementation of the Low POP Content (LPC) provisions of the Basel Convention. We are also investigating the treatment and recycling of POPs-containing plastic waste and looking at directions for the proper management of POPs.

The Material Cycles Division of NIES is organizing an online seminar on 3 December 2021 to discuss this issue and share the situation in each country with scientists, private sectors, and stakeholders. Online registration is mandatory and free. We look forward to your participation.

INFORMATION

When: Friday 3 December 2021, 17:00–20:00 JST (9:00–12:00 CEST)
Venue: Online conference using Zoom
Language: English
Registration: Please register by Thursday 2 December 2021 to receive zoom link to the event. https://project.nies.go.jp/events/pop_wastes/
Organizer: Dr. Natsuko Kajiwara, Leader of the ERTDF3-1901 research group, Material Cycles Division, NIES, Japan (https://www-cycle.nies.go.jp/index-e.html)
Co-organizer: The International Planning Section, Japan Society for Environmental Chemistry (https://www.j-ec.or.jp/index_e.html)

Contact

Secretariat of online seminar on POP wastes
International Waste Management Research Administration Office
Material Cycles Division, NIES
Email: pop_wastes@nies.go.jp