The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Plastic planet: Innovating solutions for cleaner tomorrow
European Union
Each year, over 400 million tons of plastic are produced
worldwide, much of it from packaging, consumer goods, and
industrial use. With less than 10% recycled, most ends up
incinerated, landfilled, or polluting the environment,
particularly oceans. This seminar will highlight innovative
ways to reduce plastic use and waste—focusing on prevention
in line with the Global Plastics Agreement—while also
exploring alternatives to incineration, consumer engagement,
and emerging solutions such as bioremediation.
Two panel discussions will frame the event: the first will
examine single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics,
and global production trends; the second will showcase
cutting-edge plastic alternatives, featuring insights from
EU and Japanese experts, businesses, NGOs, and academics.
Join thought leaders shaping a cleaner, plastic-free future.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- Circular economy
- Nature Positive
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | To be determined |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
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Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.09.23[Tue]
10:30 ～ 12:00
(Venue Open 10:15)
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- Venue
- Pavilion
- EU Pavilion
Programme details
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audio.
The event will feature two dynamic panel discussions.
The first panel will dive deep into the complexities of
single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics and the
waste management of plastics. Experts from the EU and Japan
will dissect these issues and discuss the strides being made
to tackle the issue internationally and develop a circular
economy for plastics.
The second panel will showcase cutting-edge solutions to
replace plastics that are already making waves in the market.
This panel will highlight the innovative spirit driving
change, with insights from business leaders, NGOs and
academics from both Asia and Europe.
Don't miss this opportunity to engage with thought
leaders and innovators working towards a cleaner,
plastic-waste free future.
Reports
【Reflection】
The session comprised two panels. The first unpacked the
complexity of single-use plastics, overpackaging,
microplastics and plastic waste management, with EU–Japan
experts reviewing progress and open challenges. The second
emphasised prevention as the priority, exploring alternatives
to incineration, consumer engagement, and emerging solutions
such as bioremediation.
Key findings
Prevention first.
Prioritising upstream reduction in product and packaging
design lowers downstream burdens on collection, sorting and
recycling; single-use applications and overpackaging are
primary targets for redesign and reuse models.
Link science, policy and behaviour
Addressing microplastics requires coupling measurement and
mitigation with waste-management practice and behaviour
change. Bioremediation and other innovations should be
introduced gradually with risk and acceptance checks.
EU–Japan alignment matters
Convergence on design/labeling standards and take-back schemes
can accelerate implementation and make consumer participation
easier.
Conclusion
The session consolidated a prevention-led pathway that
combines redesign, reuse models and staged deployment of new
technologies, clarifying near-term actions against single-use
plastics, overpackaging and microplastics.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Implementation focus
Progress actions in the following order—upstream design &
sourcing → mid-stream operations & take-back → downstream
recycling & environmental remediation—with prevention as
the guiding principle.
Priority actions
Design & sourcing: identify priority
single-use/overpackaging categories; pilot light-weighting,
material shifts and reusable containers.
Operations & engagement: redesign sorting/collection flows
and test reuse incentives (e.g., deposits, rewards).
Microplastics: measure and visualise key sources and pair with
controls (filters, capture).
Emerging tech: run small pilots for incineration alternatives
and bioremediation, assessing safety, effectiveness and cost
before scaling.
Alignment & communication: review EU–Japan consistency on
labels/take-back/data and share clear indicators and progress
with consumers and partners.
Conclusion
Start with prevention-driven design changes and reuse pilots,
while measuring microplastics and validating new technologies
to raise implementation certainty.
Cast
Moderator
Maria Vera Duran
Senior Technical Manager, EuRIC
Maria VERA DURAN joined EuRIC in July 2021. With a
background in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the
University of Malaga (Spain), she previously worked as
a project coordinator at the University of Malaga for
nearly five years, contributing to projects on
managerial excellence and internationalisation.
At EuRIC, Maria is responsible for the European
Plastics Recycling Branch (EPRB), as well as for
managing all technical and regulatory issues for the
recycling industry, including the new Circular Economy
Act.
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Speakers
Maria Nikolopoulou
Member of Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and EESC, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Maria Nikolopoulou is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) from the Workers' Group, representing the Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras. She is currently one of the Vice Presidents of the NAT Bureau and member of the Steering Group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.
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Takahiro Katsuragawa
Mayor, Kameoka City
Graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture,
(Faculty of Regional Environment Science) Department
of Landscape Architecture
1987 Employed as a municipal officer in the city of
Kameoka
1988 Transferred to the Incorporated Foundation
Kameoka Ryokka* Association
1993 Assumed the Chief of Secretariat Position at the
Incorporated Foundation Kameoka Ryokka* Association
2003 Elected as a council member of Kameoka City
Council
2007 Elected as a council member of Kyoto Prefectural
Assembly
2011 Re-elected as a council member of Kyoto
Prefectural Assembly
2015 Inaugurated as the 7th Mayor of the city of
Kameoka
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Sheila Aggarwal-Khan
UNEP Director, Industry and Economy Division
Sheila Aggarwal-Khan has served as the Senior Advisor on Programme in the Strategic Implementation Team during the the reform process in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Her work has focused on facilitating the processes by which UNEP plans its programme of work. The main goal is to make UNEP more responsive to country priorities, to show measurable results in countries while still fulfilling the mandate, catalytic and coordination role of the organization.
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Dr Yasuhiko Hotta
Sustainable Consumption and Production Unit, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Dr. Yasuhiko Hotta is the Program Director and Principal Policy Analyst for the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Unit at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). He holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Sussex and specializes in sustainable resource circulation, the circular economy, waste management, and marine plastic pollution. Dr. Hotta leads initiatives on SCP and coordinates the IGES Plastic Taskforce.
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Monty Simus
Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance, The Ocean Cleanup
Monty Simus is the Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance at The Ocean Cleanup, where he leads efforts to address plastic pollution through policy and finance initiatives. A Yale and Harvard graduate, Simus focuses on impact investing, social finance, and global water accessibility, drawing on his experience in city projects, politics, and his affiliation with Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI). He plays a key role in securing policy support and financial commitment for initiatives like the Global Plastics Treaty and The Ocean Cleanup's river and high-seas cleanup technologies.
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Momona Otsuka
Chief Environmental Officer, BIG EYE COMPANY
After studying fashion abroad in the U.K. under the "Tobitate! Study Abroad Japan" program, she began to question the social issues surrounding clothing and began to rethink the meaning of long-lasting clothing production. After graduating from International Christian University, she moved to Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima Prefecture, and started working at the Kamikatsu Zero-Waste Center, WHY, which opened in May 2020. Living in a small town with a population of 1,500 in the mountains, she works daily with the aim of realizing a recycling-oriented society, using garbage as a starting point.
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The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Plastic planet: Innovating solutions for cleaner tomorrow
Each year, over 400 million tons of plastic are produced
worldwide, much of it from packaging, consumer goods, and
industrial use. With less than 10% recycled, most ends up
incinerated, landfilled, or polluting the environment,
particularly oceans. This seminar will highlight innovative
ways to reduce plastic use and waste—focusing on prevention in
line with the Global Plastics Agreement—while also exploring
alternatives to incineration, consumer engagement, and
emerging solutions such as bioremediation.
Two panel discussions will frame the event: the first will
examine single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics, and
global production trends; the second will showcase
cutting-edge plastic alternatives, featuring insights from EU
and Japanese experts, businesses, NGOs, and academics. Join
thought leaders shaping a cleaner, plastic-free future.
-
2025.09.23[Tue]
10:30～12:00
(Venue Open 10:15)
- Pavilion
OTHER PROGRAM
The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
