BRUSSELS, Belgium, Sept. 2, 2009 — After a four-week journey, Project Kaisei, a study of the North Pacific Gyre and the marine debris that has collected in this oceanic region, has completed its two-boat mission to the North Pacific Gyre with the return to San Francisco Bay of the four-mast sailing boat Kaisei on August 31, 2009. Throughout the expedition, of which BIR was the main sponsor, the crew of the Kaisei and of the New Horizon kept the public abreast of all findings and preliminary research results via their blogs, Facebook, and various other means of modern online communication.
During a press conference held on September 1, 2009, in San Francisco, John Chen of California-based BIR member Tung Tai Group commended the Project on behalf of the world recycling body’s president, Dominique Maguin: “The Bureau of International Recycling is very enthusiastic about the outcome of this project, which highlights in a unique way what BIR has been promoting at an international scale for the last 60 years: Recycling and waste prevention are indispensable for the well-being of our planet.”
Mr. Chen also pointed out that phenomena like the marine debris in the Gyre were a constant reminder that efforts must be increased to put the necessity for recycling and waste prevention at the forefront of public awareness. Thanks to immense progress in recycling technology and techniques, products and materials indispensable for everyday life could be re-injected into the production cycle once they become obsolete, instead of ending up in landfills and becoming a burden for the environment.
He added: “In order to protect the environment and to ensure a sustainable management of resources, recycling must be increased and facilitated. And products, at the stage of their conception, should be designed for recycling. The recycling industry represented by BIR has a wealth of experience to respond to the world’s increasing need for solutions in this respect.”
He called upon supranational organizations such as the United Nations, the OECD, as well as national governments and municipalities to continue to put into place the necessary legislation and work hand in hand with the private recycling sector. It is crucial to raise public awareness regarding the benefits of recycling and waste prevention in all countries worldwide, with the help of the media and also the Internet.
He concluded his speech by saying: “We believe that Project Kaisei has contributed immensely to increasing this public awareness, by using all channels of contemporary communication, but even more so by their exemplary enthusiasm and their unbreakable optimism.”
In the coming weeks and months, Project Kaisei will carry out its shore-side analysis and publish the results of their findings.
PRESS CONTACT:
Elisabeth Christ
Communications Director
BIR
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 24
1050 Brussels, Belgium
BIR@bir.org
Tel: +32 2 627 57 70
Fax: +32 2 627 57 73
http://www.bir.org
# # #
