FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Plastic Smart Cities is the knowledge sharing platform on plastics, where all stakeholders join together for a Plastic Free Ocean. Here we connect problem owners - primarily Cities and Tourist Destinations - with Best Practice solutions to collectively achieve No Plastic in Nature by 2030. 

The Plastic Smart Cities initiative supports WWF's No Plastic In Nature agenda, while also directly aligning with seven of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's). The SDG's are a collection of global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, that serve as the blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all, working to address global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.

Plastic Smart Cities adopt plastic solutions that advance SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities; SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production; SDG 14 - Life Below Water; SDG 15 - Life on Land; and SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals. All Best Practices featured on the Plastic Smart Cities platform align with at least one of the global goals.

Plastic Smart Cities is an initiative by WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature. Established in 1961, WWF now has more than 5 million supporters, working in more than 100 countries across 6 continents, and with more than 5,000 staff worldwide. WWF’s campaign “No Plastic in Nature” aims to fix a broken system using a holistic approach - it calls for No Plastic in Nature by 2030. WWF acknowledges that there is no single solution to plastic pollution, but rather a need for a comprehensive strategy that engages all actors. By engaging all actors – government, businesses, and the public – we can examine every aspect of the life-cycle of any given plastic material, and identify key elements that are ripe for intervention.

The Plastic Smart Cities initiative supports WWF's No Plastic In Nature agenda, while also directly aligning with seven of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's).

Our partners include Cities and Tourist Destinations, intergovernmental agencies, NGO's, businesses and research institutions. You can view our growing list of City and Tourist Destination partners on the PLASTIC SMART CITIES page; you can view other partners on our PARTNERS page. 

Today an estimated 60% of plastic marine debris derives from urban centers [1], as polluted waterways carry plastic pollution to the ocean. While cities will rapidly increase their population densities to account for two-thirds of the global population by 2050 [4], they must also continue to adopt smart solutions that reduce the collective impact of their prospering communities. On plastic, this means preventing, minimizing and managing plastic, both as a resource, and as a threat to your city's health and sustainable future. 

Plastic Smart Cities is the knowledge sharing platform on plastic. It is the place for collaboration, one where stakeholders can learn from the world's premier experts, where they can engage Best Practices and connect with solution providers. 

Partner benefits also include, but are not limited to:

• WWF supported city awareness campaigns and engagement activities;
• WWF input on city action plans, and endorsement for fundraising efforts;
• WWF supported joint media outreach and publicity of City and Tourism Destination achievements; and
• WWF support for local entrepreneurs to promote a circular plastic economy.

Cities can join the Plastic Smart Cities Initiative by signing a Declaration of Intent with a view to achieving no plastics in nature by 2030, and also committing to do the following:

o   Conduct a baseline assessment of plastic waste flows in the city to identify current levels of mismanaged waste and priorities for intervention.

o   Develop a city action plan with clear targets and timelines that describe the city’s planned activities in response to the priorities identified in the baseline assessment, as well as allocate adequate resources to execute said activities.

o   Launch a pilot project to trial solutions to plastic pollution within a designated area, with a goal to reduce plastic pollution by 30% in the pilot area and with a goal to reduce plastic pollution throughout the city by 30% within five (5) years.

o   Develop a monitoring and evaluation plan and report annually on progress towards the city action plan.

o   Appoint an in-house staff member as the city’s lead person for the Plastic Smart Cities initiative, and who is responsible for coordinating with WWF staff, and reporting annual progress toward the city’s action plan and the commitments.

Please CONTACT US to express interest in joining the Plastic Smart Cities initiative.

Please complete and submit the form on the SUBMIT BEST PRACTICE page. You can also submit recommendations through our CONTACT form.

The Plastic Smart Cities’ Expert Review Panel is comprised of the world’s premiere experts in their respective fields – with technical, organizational and policy expertise. Members of the Panel review Best Practices that are submitted for consideration, and provide input as to the benefits and limitations of each action, with a concluding recommendation as to whether the Best Practice should be published on the Plastic Smart Cities platform for public viewing. 

The Panel's insights help to ensure that the platform provides stakeholders with quality solutions through our consolidated peer reviewed BEST PRACTICE catalogue. Please find a list of our Experts on our EXPERT REVIEW PANEL page.