Corporate Social Responsibility
Der Grüne Punkt takes action against waste in the seas
Year by year, an estimated 20,000 tons of waste end up in the North Sea – large areas of the Baltic Sea, too, are severely polluted, though there are no reliable data on file here. Ecological consequences are dramatic, with seabirds and marine mammals suffocating or starving to death as a result of the waste; fish and mussels are also being affected by microplastics. At the same time, fishermen are complaining about polluted catches and damaged nets; the local councils are having to spend millions of euros on cleaning beaches and coasts.
Under the aegis of Germany’s Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), fishermen, waste disposal firms and local councils have teamed up to reduce the amount of waste in the Baltic Sea. The “fished-out” waste is collected on board; free-of-charge collecting containers are provided in the harbor. The aim of this project is not only to clean up the Baltic Sea, but above all to acquire information on how severely the sea is being polluted by waste. The project is thus making an important contribution towards national implementation of the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive approved in 2008.
Der Grüne Punkt – Duales System Deutschland GmbH (DSD) is an important partner in this project. At the plastics recovery plant of DSD’s subsidiary Systec Plastics GmbH in the North Rhine-Westphalian town of Hörstel, DSD’s experts will analyze the waste collected by the fishermen, so as to arrive at conclusions on its nature and composition. In a further step, Der Grüne Punkt will be researching whether the waste concerned can be recycled, or arranging for harmless and compliant disposal.
A good disposal infrastructure helps to restrict the amount of waste carried into the sea from the land. Der Grüne Punkt, together with waste separation in Germany, have done a lot of good work here. This does not mean that there is nothing left to do. As the project also shows: waste that is fruitfully recycled or properly disposed of cannot ever get as far as the sea.
More on the “Fishing for Litter” project under:
Naturschutzbund Deutschland.
