Building a Circular Island System in Koh Tao: Creating Pathways for Low-Value Materials
Under the MA-RE-DESIGN project, Trang City and Koh Tao municipalities commenced their Plastic Smart Cities journeys in 2025. In Trang, the emphasis was on strengthening the municipal, community, and informal-sector foundations needed for future circularity. While in Koh Tao, the work focused on overcoming island-specific barriers to recovering low-value materials. This article will focus on the Koh Tao’s efforts as of July 2026. Waste Infrastructure Gaps Threaten Koh Tao’s Environment Koh Tao […]
Indonesia’s Plastic Smart Cities Programme: Five Years of Impact and Policy Influence
Since 2020, WWF-Indonesia has been implementing the Plastic Smart Cities (PSC) programme in Bogor, Depok, and Jakarta. The programme initially started at the neighbourhood and community levels, testing small-scale pilot projects, then scaled up to strengthening waste management infrastructure at city levels, schools & public education, improving Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) readiness, and contributing to national policy development. Strengthening the Waste Collection System and Infrastructure WWF-Indonesia has been working with city governments and local […]
WWF-Indonesia & YouthLab Indonesia Launches Youth Sustainability Index Report 2025
WWF-Indonesia Plastic Smart Cities and YouthLab Indonesia launched the Youth Sustainability Index Report 2025 at the Lestari Summit & Awards 2025, a collaborative platform organized by KG Media to bring together leaders, practitioners, academics, local communities, and innovators to shape Indonesia’s sustainability agenda. The data-driven report serves as a benchmark to measure the perceptions, behaviours, […]
Plastic Smart Cities at the IUCN World Conservation Congress & ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution
Learning Session at IUCN World Conservation Congress In collaboration with IUCN, WWF Plastic Smart Cities (PSC) hosted a learning session titled “From Negotiation to Action: What a Global Plastic Policy Means for Local Governments” at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 11th October 2025. The session brought together representatives from IUCN, […]
Coastal Communities Drive Waste Collection and Recycling in Semporna Islands
Island Recycling Centers Enhance Waste Management in Three Islands in Semporna On Larapan Island and Omadal Island, the “Rumah Kitar Semula” or Recycling Centres have been successfully establishedto serve as collection points for recyclable materials under the islands’ waste management plans. Developed together with community-led action groups with funding from the European Union, and supported […]
Driving Youth Behaviour Change in Goa’s Waste Management
The Sustainable Approach for Integrated Waste Management (SAIM) Project is actively working on mitigating the impacts of marine plastics in Goa, India, through a series of public awareness and community action campaigns in schools and public events. These activities engage with students, vendors, and community members to promote waste segregation at source. Working with the […]
Promoting Waste Separation at Source in Luang Prabang
WWF-Laos is actively implementing community-based waste management activities in collaboration with Souphanouvong University. Through awareness campaigns at the Boat Racing Festival to reduce single-use plastic and engaging households to separate waste at source, Plastic Smart Cities in Luang Prabang has reached over 150 families with training sessions and equipment such as separate bins, tongs, logbooks, […]
Hue Pilots Deposit-Return Scheme to Boost Plastic Bottle Recycling
To advance circular economy solutions, WWF-Viet Nam, in collaboration with Hue University, launched a pilot Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) on 14 September 2025. DRS is widely recognized as an effective approach to complement Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes (EPR), especially in increasing the recovery rate of recyclable materials, including beverage containers. Under this approach, consumers pay […]
From Classrooms to Coastlines: Schools, Communities, and Tourists Unite Against Plastic Pollution
Hue City is emerging as a model for community-driven environmental action in Viet Nam, where schools, citizens, and local institutions are working together to tackle plastic pollution. Through a series of on-ground initiatives, from the Plastic Reduction School Model to large-scale clean-ups and sustainable tourism programmes, Hue is not only reducing waste but also cultivating […]
Songkhla’s Fishing Community Takes Lead in Enhancing Waste Management Systems in Coastal Areas
As a fishing community, protecting the sea’s biodiversity isn’t just a duty – it’s a way of life. In a groundbreaking stride toward coastal conservation, the Ban Phang Sai Community in Songkhla, Thailand, is demonstrating its leadership in scaling community-led environmental stewardship. Traditionally a fishing community, Ban Phang Sai not only pioneered a waste management […]