On November 17 and 18, the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Sino-Norwegian Cooperation Project on Capacity Building for Reducing Plastic and Microplastic Pollution (hereinafter referred to as “SINOPLAST”) and the “Zero Waste City” Plastic Reduction Exchange Meeting were successfully held in Shenzhen. Basel Convention Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific jointly organized the conference (hereinafter referred to as “BCRC China”) with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau. The BCRC China, based in the School of Environment, is the leading executive agency of the SINOPLAST; the MEE is responsible for applying for the project; Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau is the leading executive agency of pilot city activities for the project. The conference attracted nearly 100 representatives from Shenzhen municipal government agencies, project participants, research institutions, and “Zero Waste City” demonstration enterprises.
Group Photo of Attendees
The opening ceremony was hosted by Lin Weiqiang, Director of the Solid Waste and Chemicals Division of Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau. Speeches were delivered by Wen Xuefeng, Director of the Division of Solid Wastes, Department of Solid Wastes and Chemicals of MEE, Wen Zhong, Deputy Director of Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, and Christoffer Gr?nstad, Environmental Counsellor of the Norwegian Embassy in China. Wen Xuefeng believed that plastic pollution is a global environmental problem. Its control faces many challenges, which calls for global efforts. The SINOPLAST has absorbed Chinese philosophies and international experience, and it responds to China’s needs to prevent and control plastic, marine litter and microplastic pollution. Wen Zhong pointed out that global plastic pollution control is a shared responsibility for all. Signing the MOU with BCRC China is a significant and thrilling event for constructing a “Zero Waste City” in Shenzhen, which also marks a new stage of long-term practical cooperation between the two sides. Christoffer Gr?nstad highly appreciated Shenzhen’s achievements in ecological protection and sustainable development. According to him, the results of the project were highly recognized by the Norwegian Embassy, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, and the MEE at the annual consultation meeting this year.
After the opening ceremony, in the presence of the MEE, the Norwegian Embassy in China, and all the participants, Wen Zhong, Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, and Chen Yuan, Director of the Chemicals Management Office of BCRC China (on behalf of Li Jinhui, BCRC China Executive Director and Professor of School of Environment, Tsinghua University) signed a MOU for the SINOPLAST project. The MOU aims to give full play to both parties to go beyond the “Zero Waste City” pilot city activities in Shenzhen. It aims to further reduce plastic in Shenzhen through the implementation of the plastic reduction activities in the project and contribute to solving the problems of marine plastic and microplastic pollution.
Signing the MOU for the SINOPLAST project
In the session of presentations, invited experts and project participants shared their views on “Zero Waste City” construction, policies, and technologies for environmental- friendly management of plastic waste, scientific research on plastic reduction, and standardization of monitoring the waste.
In addition, the conference also organized field visits to project sites such as domestic waste classification, river waste removal and management in the urban areas, and wetland ecological restoration.
Attendees visited the water treatment site of Dasha River, OCT Wetland Park, and the demonstration neighborhood of waste classification
