About PLASYS24

Plastic pollution is a global challenge and a core part of the triple planetary crisis, threatening the environment, economy, and health of present and future societies. Day by day, scientific, engineering, innovation and decision-support communities accomplish major progress in understanding the nature and extent of the complex phenomena involved.

At PLASYS24, a three-day Global Plastic Pollution Systems Symposium, we gather to advance our collective understanding of plastic pollution and to discuss preventative and circularity solutions. Through inter-disciplinary and systems approaches, PLASYS will be an ideal place to showcase and reflect upon the latest scientific developments and to inform the science-policy interface. Following open-science principles, delegates will share breakthroughs across the plastics lifecycle, including research that incorporates economic activity; environmental media (water, land, air) and the sources, transportation pathways and fates of plastic pollution at multiple scales (nano to planetary).

Chaired by Dr Costas Velis and Prof Demetris Lekkas, PLASYS24 is an interactive symposium convened by the University of Leeds and the University of the Aegean, with organisational support from Global NEST, featuring over 30 years’ experience on environmental science and technology conferences. Held from 2 to 4 October 2024, in person, on the island of Rhodes, in Greece. At PLASYS24, we reimagine the format of the conventional scientific conference via a new interactive forum approach. We aspire to pave the way for an evidence-based journey to eliminate plastic pollution, bringing science to the forefront.