World Oceans Day: Veolia is showcasing its solutions for combating pollution in the seas and oceans.

8 june 2018

Veolia is showcasing its approach to stemming the tide of pollution in the world's seas and oceans on World Oceans Day 2018. The Group is developing solutions all around the world to combat land-based pollution and turn it into a resource. As part of a circular economy approach and in partnership with local government, industry and citizens, these solutions fall into three main categories: 1. Treat pollution on the coast and upstream, 2. Anticipate and reduce regions' vulnerability, 3. Make production methods and consumption patterns circular.

Urgent action is needed to protect seas and oceans

The oceans produce 50% of our oxygen, absorb 1/3 of atmospheric CO2, and are the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world. However, they are being polluted to an unprecedented degree. At the present time, 50% of wastewater is directly discharged into the sea without any treatment, while plastic accounts for 80% of marine waste and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

Combating land-based pollution and turning it into a resource

Veolia firmly believes that in order to stop oceans being polluted, action must be taken upstream on land-based pollution, which is the source of 80% of marine pollution. Veolia is treating pollution at the land-sea interface and by going back to the source. This method helps reduce regions' vulnerability and make production methods and consumption patterns circular.

- Treating pollution on the coast and upstream
Veolia collects, treats and recovers wastewater and waste, in this way limiting the amount of pollution discharged into the sea. The Group also helps to clean up coastlines (for instance, via surveillance and checking bathing water quality).

- Anticipating and reducing regions' vulnerability
Veolia rolls out pollution prevention and dynamic management systems to increase the resilience of urban areas and regions. For example, the Group is helping the city of Copenhagen to prevent wastewater from being discharged into the sea if flooding occurs.

- Making production methods and consumption patterns circular Veolia is supporting the development of plastic recycling in order to aid this transition and limit the volume of plastic waste. The Group is already a market leader in Europe and plans to increase its work in this area five-fold by 2025.
Furthermore, Veolia is forging industrial partnerships. For instance, in the Netherlands the Group has joined forces with Philips to eco-design domestic appliances made from recycled plastic.

'Less than 10% of the world's plastic waste is recycled and eight million tonnes end up in the oceans every year. Veolia believes that one of the solutions to this problem is to develop the recycling of plastic waste. This involves forging new partnerships with organisations, scientists, our industrial clients and local government to make production methods and consumption patterns circular', said Pierre Victoria, Veolia's Director of Sustainable Development, at a Sustainable Development Observatory conference on 'pollution of the oceans and plastic waste at sea.' The conference took place at Veolia's headquarters in Aubervilliers on 6 June.

Find out more

>Veolia's CSR
>5 June - World Environment Day: Veolia is committed to beating plastic pollution
>Veolia's mission to resource the world
> Planet on 'Microplastics: pollution adrift'
>Conference at La REcyclerie: protecting the oceans through the circular economy
> Let's talk about climate : 'Every day, Veolia is working to reduce the environmental impact of plastic'