Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing concerns we face today, having a devastating impact on marine life and ecosystems, and environmental and economic impacts on cities, as much of this waste leaks into the rivers/water bodies due to mismanaged waste streams. Cities are witnessing ever increasing waste generation due to advanced lifestyles and higher consumption. Many developed countries still practice outsourcing their waste problem to developing countries, shifting responsibilities of solving plastic pollution, being unable to cope with large volumes of waste. The impact and cost of this trade is seen in terms of environmental health, social wellbeing, and economic development of the receiving countries. Responsible management, adopting circular approach, and stringent controls are crucial to address this problem and advance sustainable local solutions in cities.
The sixth session of Cities on the Frontline Speaker Series, 2023, with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America, France and co-hosted with New Materials Institute, University of Georgia, and France Ville Durable, focused on Ocean and Circularity. To kick start the session, Michael Turner, Counselor for Cultural Affairs at Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy of France talked on the importance of knowledge exchange on how both U.S. and French cities can learn from each other to work on this pressing issue of mitigating waste from the ocean.
“Cities are amongst the highest generators of plastic waste and much of this waste ends up in our oceans. Many efforts have been undertaken by cities like Miami in understanding the problem and adopting resilience solutions to address plastic waste. Similarly, the city of Santa Cruz is committed to adopting efficient waste management solutions to reduce plastic pollution. This is why we are here today. To share experiences and to learn best practices which can help tackle the plastic waste problem.”
Michael Turner, Counselor for Cultural Affairs in the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in France
To understand the efforts being undertaken by cities, we were joined by Alissa Farina, Assistant Chief Resilience Officer, City of Miami, Florida, Dr. Tiffany Wise-West, Sustainability and Climate Action Manager, Santa Cruz, California, Juanita Ballesteros, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, Miami Beach, Florida and Anne-Sophie Louvel, Director of Territorial Operations, CITEO, France who shared their experiences and learnings in advancing sustainable and circular plastic waste solutions in their cities. The panel discussion focused on understanding the need to address plastic waste in cities and measures being taken to reduce ocean plastic pollution and address interrelated resilience challenges like health, livelihoods, economic development, and reducing emissions. The panel was moderated by Ron Harris, Lead, Knowledge Transformation, Resilient Cities Network, and Taylor Maddalene, Director, Circularity Assessment Protocol, Jambeck Research Group, University of Georgia. Key insightful takeaways from the panel were:
- Starting with basics and reaching the low-hanging fruits first to establish a dialogue and trigger a momentum in cities
- Adopting effective engagement and communications strategies so that people are aware and can get involved in the efforts the city is undertaking to reduce plastic waste
- Prioritizing partnerships and collaborations in sharing and scaling solutions in cities
- Identifying overlaps with other city priorities and tying waste management to other resilience co-benefits
- Adopting policies like bans, EPR, and voluntary measures to create an enabling environment for actions in the cities
- Using data to inform decisions and align practices to make them effective and efficient
- Connecting with city identity and pride of place to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to adopt sustainable practices
Alissa Farina, Assistant Chief Resilience Officer, City of Miami, Florida
We know that data-driven decisions can be the most impactful, which is why metrics and data are at the core of how the City of Miami is approaching these issues. Figuring out what is going to have the biggest impact and focusing on doing one thing really well can be beneficial to show impact and build buy-in.
Juanita Ballesteros, Sustainability and Resilience Manager, Miami Beach, Florida
We know that data-driven decisions can be the most impactful, which is why metrics and data are at the core of how the City of Miami is approaching these issues. Figuring out what is going to have the biggest impact and focusing on doing one thing really well can be beneficial to show impact and build buy-in.
Anne-Sophie Louvel, Director of Territorial Operations, CITEO, France
In France, 80% of waste that goes into the sea is due to littering on streets, so we need to tackle waste at the source. We have multiple stakeholders who are competent and part of the solution. For us, the most important thing is constant consultation with all actors to agree on roles and responsibilities to have sustainable long-term solutions towards a shared vision. Access the presentation.
Dr. Tiffany Wise-West, Sustainability and Climate Action Manager, Santa Cruz, California
Build your capacities through collaborations and partnerships. For us, capacity is always an issue; we must be constantly engaged in a variety of different ways with different audiences, so expanding capacities through partnerships and programs like master recyclers can help. Access the presentation.
