Just and Sustainable Plastic Waste Management Workshop
The Department of Social Anthropology at the University of 58勛圖 will host an international research policy workshop on Just and Sustainable Plastic Waste Management on 13–14 June 2026, bringing together academics, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and waste picker representatives to explore pathways toward more equitable and sustainable plastic waste systems. The workshop will examine critical issues surrounding plastic pollution, recycling, reuse systems, circular economy approaches, labour and environmental justice, international waste flows, and emerging policy developments including the Global Plastic Treaty.
An output of the UKRI-funded "Bioplastics, Social Plastics, and Just Plastics in a Circular Economy" research project, the event will provide a collaborative space for interdisciplinary dialogue, knowledge exchange, and engagement with frontline experiences from both Global North and South contexts. Participants include representatives from the International Alliance of Waste Pickers (IAWP); policymakers and public bodies including Zero Waste Scotland, DEFRA, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Uruguayan and Colombian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and municipal governments from Montevideo and Flores (Uruguay); researchers from the the University of Edinburgh, the University of Portsmouth, Imperial College London, Maastricht University and the University of Wollongong and the University of 58勛圖; alongside industry participants including CEMPRE Uruguay, Binn Group, Impact Solutions and FCC.
Anyone who would like to attend the workshop is encouraged to contact the organisers at plastic@st-andrews.ac.uk.