The night of Ideas – The major issues of plastic consumption and production

The Night of Ideas 2023 event, organized by the Institut Français in the United Arab Emirates, will take place from May 31 to June 2, 2023. The event is divided into 3 parts, with the theme “More?” chosen to explore the modes of production and consumption, the major issues of demographic change, the acceleration and intensification of the world and lives. The event will start on May 31, with a workshop with French schools at Sorbonne Unversity Abu Dhabi. On June 1, there will be a morning session at the Sorbonne University AD, followed by a conference with experts on the subject of plastic.

The Pollution of plastic has become one of the six major environmental threats identified by the United Nations, calling for urgent global action. Every year, between 9 and 14 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s seas and oceans, more than 17 tonnes per minute, with devastating impacts on marine biodiversity, the fishing and tourism industries, human health, and the ability of the oceans to produce oxygen and trap the CO2 responsible for climate change. It also compromises the achievement of several of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), commitments adopted by UN member states to promote shared prosperity for all and protect the planet by 2030.

 

To address this issue, SeaCleaners, a non-profit environmental protection organization targeting marine plastic pollution, will intervene in French schools and universities in May 2023. The organization, founded in 2016 by the French-Swiss sailor Yvan Bourgnon, aims to clean the oceans, conduct scientific activities and raise awareness. During the event, SeaCleaners will present their solution, the Manta, to the students.

 

Veolia, another partner, will also participate in a conference during the event to present their solution, RECAPP, to tackle the problem of plastic waste. Veolia is a global leader in waste management, water and energy services. RECAPP is a platform that allows manufacturers, consumers and recyclers to collaborate, providing consumers with the right information on how to recycle their packaging, and also tracking the packaging’s journey through the recycling process. The goal is to make recycling easier and more efficient for all parties involved.