The Belgian plastics industry is cautiously optimistic about 2010 and though some converters saw total production fall by 13.4%, other markets including consumer packaging and medical articles resisted better, says Federplast.be.
The voice of plastics and rubber converters in a survey found 44% of company executives expecting the same production volumes in 2010, while a similar number foresee growth for their company, in traditional markets and new ones.
While the exports of plastics materials and plastics articles fell by 20% in value, the export balance remained ‘very impressive’ at €7.8bn, or more than half of the total export balance of Belgium, stated Federplast.
On the marine litter issue, the Belgian authorities have agreed to fund an inventory of marine debris in Belgian coastal waters to be carried out by the University of Ghent.
Federplast has invited European Plastics Converters (EuPC) and PlasticsEurope to pay to take the study a step further and analyse any microplastics present in marine organisms.
“The Belgian authorities and our industry have top-of-the-world know-how about sustainable materials management,” said Geert Scheys, secretary-general of Federplast.be.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) representing 140 NGOs holds up the Flanders region as ‘a model for Europe’ for waste management policies, stated Mr Scheys, adding: “We should promote such policies at international level to set an example for those countries which, due to the lack of performing waste management systems, are at the origin of most of the waste that pollutes the oceans.”
