Plastic pollution is a global environmental issue. East and Southeast Asia are of strategic importance in the fight against plastic pollution, where rivers and coastlines are some of the most affected. Co-organised by the OECD together with the Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, this event seeks to spotlight current trends in plastic flows and pollution across ASEAN Plus Three Member States as well as showcase effective national and regional initiatives, and identify priorities for scaling up policy action, financing and partnerships – within the marine environment and beyond. Join us June 6 in the Green Zone during the One Ocean Science Congress

Addressing Marine Litter in the Pacific: SWAP Project 2024

? The Pacific Ocean is under growing threat from marine litter, with plastic pollution leading the charge.

? Through 73 surveys conducted across Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis & Futuna, the SWAP Project and its partners collected over 76,000 waste items, weighing a staggering 4,492kg—mostly plastics.
But we’re taking action! ? The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), through the SWAP Project (Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific), funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), is working closely with local communities and national organisations to tackle waste management and reduce marine litter.

? Together, we’re making strides toward a cleaner, healthier Pacific!

? Watch the video to see how our collaboration is shaping the future:
https://youtu.be/FmZaXQgsj-I?si=DHCsQIDJScOhd2IY

Marine Litter in the Pacific Islands - 2024 Report: Key Highlights and Findings
The Pacific Ocean is facing a growing threat from marine litter. A total of 73 surveys and audits have been conducted across the region, including in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Wallis & Futuna. These surveys reveal concerning levels of waste, particularly plastics, and highlight the urgent need for action.

A total of 76,869 waste items were collected, weighing 4,492kg, with plastics being the dominant material. Of these, 44,653 plastic items were recorded, including bottles, food wrappers, plastic bags, and fragments. On average, there were 3,448 waste items found per 1,000 m² across 43 survey locations in six Pacific Island nations.
Plastic remains the predominant waste material, with over 44,000 plastic items collected across the region.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) through the Committing to Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP) Project supporting waste management and marine litter monitoring across the Pacific Islands. Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) working to reduce plastic pollution by tackling single-use plastics and enhancing regional cooperation. GEF ISLANDS assisting Island nations in safely managing hazardous chemicals and preventing marine litter, aiming to stop over 300,000 tonnes of plastic waste and toxins from entering the oceans.

Collaborative efforts across the Pacific are driving progress in reducing marine litter through policy, community engagement, and regional initiatives. This work is in collaboration and supported by organisations such as Sustainable Coastlines New Zealand and in-country partners including the University of the South Pacific, which leads the Pacific Ocean Litter Youth Project (POLYP) in Fiji; the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), Waste Management and Pollution Control Division in Samoa; the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management & Meteorology (MECDM), Environment & Conservation Division in Solomon Islands; the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), Department of Environment in Tonga; the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC), Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology & Geo-hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management in Vanuatu; and the Direction of Environment, Department of Territorial Affairs in Wallis & Futuna.

This report highlights the importance of consistent data collection and regional cooperation to combat the growing marine litter crisis and protect Pacific ecosystems. Together, we’re working to reduce marine litter, protect ecosystems, and safeguard the Pacific for future generations.

Learn more about the findings in the full report here: https://library.sprep.org/content/beach-marine-litter-pacific-islands-2…

For the second year, Samoa Conservation Society has participated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023 alongside the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
More than a ton of rubbish was collected thanks to the commitment of 183 volunteers who came to give a hand.
Together to make a difference!

Coastal Clean-Up Day 2023 was a success! Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Samoa Recycling & Waste Management Association (SRWMA), the Samoa Conservation Society, the Phoenix Netball Club as well as the SWAP Project, POLP Project, and ISLANDS Pacific Ocean and Plastic Tide Turners.
With 135 volunteers, 359 kg of waste was collected at Sheraton Waterfront Beach and on the Mulinu’u Peninsula, Upolu Island, Samoa.
Let's keep working together for a healthier, more sustainable environment.

The third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-3), is currently convening in Nairobi.

Before we delve into the new developments that come out of the INC-3, we can review the Zero Draft of the instrument which was shared on 1 October. What do you think will be the long-term implications of this instrument to SIDS plastic management?

Witness the incredible efforts put forth at the AFD-funded SWAP Project 31 SPREP Meeting Clean-up Side event in Moata'a village, Samoa!

This video highlights the hard work of our committed volunteers and community members together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and SPREP delegates who joined forces to create a positive environmental impact. Let's strive for a cleaner environment and greener future.

A revolutionary waste management program by Polygreen launched in Tilos in December, boosting municipal waste recycling to an impressive 86%. The island removed public dustbins, becoming the world's first landfill-free location. Residents, businesses, and the municipality embrace the Just Go Zero program, using unique waste bags with QR codes. A mobile app allows citizens to track their contribution to this zero-waste initiative. Sounds fantastic, right?

Waste is collected door-to-door, with a focus on summers when tourism peaks. Even island hotels participate in waste sorting. The circular innovation center on the former landfill site processes municipal waste for recycling, composting, or incineration. Tilos is demonstrating a great example of a waste-free island, and this model's potential for global application.

Are you from SIDS and are interested in helping your country better plan its plastic waste management? Are you keen to better detect the origins of the plastic waste as well as the leakages and hotspots in your country?

This UNEP/IUCN 'National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping Action' now includes a linear, step-by-step tutorial to support gathering and analysing of data to determine where, what, and how plastic is leaking into the environment.

This guide aims to help users visualise the journey from data collection to intervention identification and detailed GIS modelling. It elaborates the 29 steps to conduct a national plastic pollution hotspotting assessment; as well as presents the data needed, the technical and strategic tools to use, how to verify results, and in which order to generate the necessary outcomes that can be synthesised as evidence and guidance for policy makers.

How 'integratable' do you think these steps are into your country's existing plastic waste action plan? Plus, are there any specific data/knowledge gaps you'd like to fill in your country to better design plastic waste management policies from their onset?

Interesting webinar alert!

Ahead of the upcoming third round of negotiations in November to develop legally binding agreement on plastics, UN PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) is hosting a webinar that explores:

- Why plastic waste and pollution is a risk to financial institutions, including the opportunities of a circular economy for plastics to address climate and biodiversity risks;
- How financial institutions can take action to address this issue; and
- How financial institutions can engage with the UN global agreement currently under development.

As ISLANDS launched a gamified Tide Turners app this July to help young people across SIDS to learn and take action on plastics pollution, this webinar can once again serve as a reminder to where the environmental impact of plastics pollution currently stands, and what high-level financial action can be taken to match individual efforts in different corners of the world.