Are you concerned about the impact of plastic pollution on our environment? At OSRL, we share your concerns and are committed to making a difference. Following our involvement in the nurdle spill in Sri Lanka, we have formed a Plastics Working Group (PWG) to expand and improve our ability to respond to plastic pollution spills.
So, what are we doing? Our group is covering all things plastics, focusing on working collaboratively with other stakeholders to develop a Good Practice Guide (GPG) on responding to microplastics spills. This guide will be reviewed by IPIECA, with contributions from various stakeholders such as ITOPF, Oracle Environmental Experts, IMO, and UK and Eire Spill Association.
We are also learning from our experience in Sri Lanka, ensuring we have captured all the lessons learned and outputs. Plus, we are participating in various trials to clean up nurdles in the local area. Additionally, we are conducting a capability review of our training and external presentation materials and contributing to the Plastic Pollution Working Group of the UK Spill and Ireland Association.
Equipment trials in Sri Lanka
We are also proud to be part of the newly formed UK Plastic Pollution Working Group (PPWG), which includes members such as Oracle Environmental, ITOPF, and IMO, among others. Our PWG purpose aligns with the PPWG, which is working towards compiling and presenting information on ten goals of response to plastic pollution. OSRL has been tasked with presenting on two of these goals: Response Equipment use and Effectiveness & Monitoring and Assessment, including SCAT.
In addition to our collaboration with the PPWG, we are also exploring opportunities to work with the University of Southampton on a Group Design Project, which will involve producing a new equipment prototype based on a vacuum recovery-based concept.
We believe that by utilising the collective knowledge and experience of our employees, we can develop techniques and equipment to protect our environment and ensure that the industry is better prepared for these events. If you're interested in learning more about the Plastics Working Group, head to the Plastic Working Group page on the UK and Ireland Spill Association website. Together, we can make a difference and protect our planet for generations to come.
Meet the OSRL Plastics Working Group
Name: Rhea Shears
Role: Technical Training & Development Advisor
Name: Marta Januszewska
Role: Senior Consultant
Name: Lucy Short
Role: Principle Consultant
Name: Bjornar Fonn
Role: Senior Response Specialist - SWIS
Name: Kate Brown
Role: Modelling Consultant
Name: Eleanor Rowland
Role: Responder
Name: Aysha Ahmed
Role: Responder
Name: Tom Fisher
Role: Senior Response Specialist