The GDR 'Plastics, Environment, Health' took over from the GDR 'Polymers & Oceans' in 2024, broadening its themes around the environmental and health issues associated with plastic waste.

The GDR's annual meetings provide an opportunity to bring the scientific community together. Since the first GDR Polymères et Océans meeting in 2020 in Créteil, four events have been organized in Pau in 2021 (remote), Brest in 2022, Rennes in 2023 and Marseille in 2025. These events have attracted between 100 and 170 participants (researchers, doctoral students, industrialists, etc.) at each previous event.

With around 200 participants expected, these sixth GDR meeting days will take place in Bordeaux (Talence) on July 1, 2 and 3, 2025.

Eight themes will be addressed:

• Colonization of plastics by micro-organisms;
• Occurrence, behavior, transport and transfer of plastics in environmental compartments;
• Identification and behavior of polymers in formulations;
• (Bio)degradation processes of plastic waste;
• Life cycle analysis and eco-design of plastics;
• Onehealth, environmental and human health impacts of plastics;
• Human and social sciences applied to the issue of plastic waste;
• Metrology of plastics: from nano/micro-particles to macro-waste.

Finally, on the evening of July 3, a “large audience” conference (also open to GDR PES days participants) will be held on the Victoire campus of the Université de Bordeaux (details to follow).

Moreover, the workshop PLASTINEST dedicated to the transport of microplastics in estuaries will be held at the Maison écocitoyenne in Bordeaux on July 4.