As United Nations Member States gather to negotiate a historic global treaty on plastic pollution, this report aims to provide negotiators with policy recommendations derived from on-the-ground interventions from cities in Asia that are tackling plastic pollution.
With 60% of plastic waste derived from urban centres, cities are on the frontline of the global plastic crisis.
Cities are the ultimate implementer of practical solutions for plastic waste management, and exert considerable influence on waste strategies. Yet, they often lack resources and authority to effectively address challenges related to plastic design, production, reuse, refill, and recycling.
This report, Case Studies from Asia: City-level Learnings for the Global Plastic Pollution Treaty, completed in collaboration with Accenture, lays out 17 city-level interventions across Asia to provide negotiators with policy recommendations derived from city-level interventions, particularly global bans and requirements to achieve circular design.
Bans can also serve as catalysts for entire industries to prioritize research and development efforts towards reuse and refill solutions. This, in turn, encourages increased investment in alternative distribution systems centered around refilling and reuse, ultimately fostering economic growth.
The key aspects of this report can be summarized as:
- Challenges faced by Asian cities in addressing plastic pollution, which for most of them cannot be resolved at the standalone city or national level
- Enablers that helped cities implement interventions and solutions
- Policy recommendations in the form of global rules in the plastic pollution treaty that can address said challenges and accelerate and scale up solutions at the city level
Scaling Solutions, Addressing Challenges: Binding Global Rules in the Plastic Treaty Can Help Cities Become Plastic Smart
Analysis of six-city level interventions tackling plastic pollution in Asia
