The Mirpuri Foundation has been leading from the front on sustainability again, this time on the panel of a recent seminar at the University of Algarve, in Faro.
The June event, called: ‘Portugal and the Reduction of Single Use Plastics Seminar,” was organised by Sciaena and the Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA) and was designed offer a platform for discussion on the implementation of the Single Use Plastic Directive, and any measures planned by stakeholder industries and the Portuguese Government to ensure new environmental and waste objectives are met with the minimum of disruption to all.
The seminar, which was presented in a circular value chain structure, included contributions from a number of stakeholders, including utensil manufacturers, the airline industry, retail bodies, recycling organizations and companies, as well as Government bodies and NGOs involved in plastic or waste management.
Representing the Mirpuri Foundation was Head of Public Relations & Media, Ana Agostinho, who addressed delegates in the afternoon session.
Other members of the afternoon panel included: Sandra Rodrigues from DECO (the Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection) and Eunice Maia from Portugal’s famous zero waste grocery store – Maria Granel.
Ana explained to the panel what the Foundation had already achieved with its ‘Turn the Tide on Plastic’ Campaign and ran through what had been learned from Hi Fly’s highly successful single-use plastic free flights at the end of 2018, before answering questions from attendees on the Mirpuri Foundation efforts to stop plastic consumption as well as its search for alternative products to replace soon to be banned plastic items.
The panel discussed and shared ideas on best practice for slashing the amount of plastic waste generated as well as some of the challenges that State intervention might bring, before taking questions from the floor.
Reflecting on the seminar, Ana said: “It was an excellent event and one that the Foundation was happy to lend a voice to. We are happy to share anything that we have learned in our long fight against the scourge of single-use plastics. Together we can all do more to eliminate single-use plastic whenever possible.”
