On July 13, 2022, the association Baltic Coasts held the last regional stakeholder meeting of PLASTECO in Latvia. The event gathered researchers, waste management experts, as well as representatives from the public sector and NGOs.
Baltic Coasts gave a presentation exploring and discussing how regulation on plastics has changed during the years of PLASTECO project and what are the anticipations for the future. Moreover, an overview of the achievements of PLASTECO was presented to the audience. A presentation about the pictogram system for better waste recycling was given by a representative from the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office of Latvia. A discussion followed on the possibilities for the introduction of the pictogram system in Latvia. Moreover, a presentation on the tendencies of plastic packaging was given, by Sandra Muižniece-Brasava, a professor at the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. An emphasis was put on the more effective use of materials in packaging and avoiding unnecessary details when packaging a product. The meeting was closed with two presentations from researchers from the Riga Technical University on a sustainable alternative for thermal packaging (such as polystyrene) and bio-based ink for 3D printing. In between the presentations of the meeting, active discussions on the future directions for reducing the use of plastics and ensuring better plastics waste management in Latvia took place.
