Publications

This report investigates industry tactics in the face of an unprecedented plastic pollution crisis and growing public pressure to address it. Based on research and investigations in over 15 countries across five continents, it reveals how – behind the veil of nice-sounding initiatives and commitments – the industry has obstructed and undermined proven legislative solutions for decades.

The 18th edition of UNEP’s Foresight Brief, Unveiling plastic pollution in oceans, gives options for accelerating progress on SDG 14, Life Below Water. It highlights the global concern on plastic litter and microplastics in the ocean and calls a comprehensive long-term monitoring and assessment programme. This Brief was prepared based on the findings of the report entitled ‘Guidelines for the monitoring and assessment of plastic litter and microplastics in the ocean’ published by the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP).

Based on more than 100 interviews, this GA Circular study commissioned by Circulate Capital highlights six key COVID-19 impacts to the recycling value chain in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines, along with a three-phase plan to prevent lasting damage to the sector, protect the environment and local communities’ livelihoods.

The COVID-19 crisis reveals a clear truth about catastrophic risk in an increasingly globalized world: an effective response requires immediate, ambitious and evidence-based preventive action at the international level. To avert future global threats, including pandemics, we must protect rights to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment upon which we all depend for our health and wellbeing. A human rights-based approach to the COVID-19 crisis is also needed to address its unequal impacts on the poor, vulnerable and marginalized and its underlying drivers, including environmental degradation. The following key messages on human rights, the environment and COVID-19 highlight essential human rights obligations and responsibilities of States and others, including businesses, in addressing and responding to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Pew Charitable Trusts and SYSTEMIQ released Breaking the Plastic Wave, which shows that plastic pollution is rapidly outpacing efforts to stop it, and confirms that the vision of a circular economy for plastic is the only way to address the crisis at the source

The New Plastics Economy is a vision of a circular economy for plastic, where plastic never becomes waste. It offers a root cause solution to plastic pollution with profound economic, environmental, and societal benefits.

The study of nearly 400 scientific publications on marine plastic pollution in South East and East Asia shows that while a substantial amount of research on plastic pollution already exists, significant gaps remain that may limit evidence-based decision making. The amount and depth of research varies greatly across countries and a wide variation in methodologies limits collaborative action, data integration and the establishment of regional baselines. Understanding of impacts of plastics and contaminants on the marine environment, of social perceptions and behaviour change, of issues related to plastic behaviour, transport, transformation and fragmentation, and of sea-based sources of pollution remains limited.

The review was developed by an interdisciplinary research team at NUS led by the Centre for International Law, with support from COBSEA under the UNEP-COBSEA regional marine litter project SEA circular and support by the Singapore Maritime Institute.

The online inventory is available online at: https://cutt.ly/MLdatabase

The attention on plastic pollution has intensified in recent years among national governments and the global community. The ‘National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting and Shaping Action’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Guidance’) aims to provide a structure for the methods of identifying plastic leakage ‘hotspots’, finding their impacts along the entire plastic value chain, and then prioritising actions once these hotspots are identified. The Guidance sprung from our desire to address the challenge to define an effective strategy to address plastic pollution, in a systemic way. It is aimed at enabling countries, regions, or cities to take and use this structure, or framework, in their own environments

The recommendations are addressed to tourism stakeholders with the aim of supporting them to continue fighting plastic pollution during the COVID-19 recovery.  This document illustrates how reducing the plastic footprint, increasing the engagement of suppliers, working closer with waste service providers, and ensuring transparency on the actions taken, can significantly contribute to a responsible recovery of the tourism sector. The document builds on the key concepts underlying the common vision for a circular economy for plastic, the One Planet Vision for a Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector and the latest available guidance from the World Health Organizations (WHO), World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and leading business associations. These recommendations should be seen as complementary to national and local regulations.

This report identifies how consumers and food and beverage businesses perceive plastic waste issues in five South-East Asian countries estimated to be major contributors of marine plastic litter: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Explore OECD’s Policies in practice, demonstrating real-world ocean policy action. Search for examples from all over the globe extracted from OECD’s cross-cutting ocean-related publications, including marine biodiversity and ecosystem services, coastal adaptation and resilience, fisheries and aquaculture, marine plastics pollution and sustainable ocean finance. OECD has also developed the OECD environment & sustainable ocean economy database.

This publication describes good practices of States in recognizing the right to live in a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, as well as in implementing the procedural and substantive elements of this right. A report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment- with support from UNEP, as part of our work to advance environmental rights.

The Plastics Pollution Policy Inventory is a searchable database consisting of public policy documents targeting plastic pollution. This database was built using a robust methodological process developed with the support of research librarians and experts on public policy databases. The inventory currently includes over 290 downloadable policies with the intent to address plastic pollution by subnational, national, and international level governments, and is growing based on stakeholder input and continued research. 

This study aims to synthesize the policy response of governments to the global plastic pollution problem, as a basis for more rigorous monitoring of progress (as called for in Resolution 4/6 of the 2019 United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) meeting) and to inform future public policies.

This report provides a global mapping and assessment of standards, labels and claims on plastic packaging. The findings of this report map the current landscape of consumer information, highlighting good practices and areas where action should be taken. An international, cross-sector consultation revealed five key insights and recommendations for clearer and more effective consumer communication on plastic packaging.

This SEA circular country profile for Cambodia covers the socio-economic profile of Cambodia, and the coastal and marine ecosystem and economy. It details the plastics and packaging production and usage status and covers aspects of solid waste management - and the impact of both of these factors on marine litter status. Actions taken on marine plastics are detailed, covering government actions and the private sector. Global, regional and national policy frameworks related to Cambodia are detailed.

This SEA circular country profile for Singapore covers the socio-economic profile of Singapore, and the coastal and marine ecosystem and economy. It details the plastics and packaging production and usage status and covers aspects of solid waste management - and the impact of both of these factors on marine litter status. Actions taken on marine plastics are detailed, covering government actions and the private sector. Global, regional and national policy frameworks related to Singapore are detailed.

Produced in line with the 76th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the theme study Changing Sails: Accelerating Regional Actions for Sustainable Oceans in Asia and the Pacific explores the key areas around which regional platforms can rally interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral solutions for the ocean. It highlights the lack of data and statistics on the ocean, the growing demand for moving towards inclusive and green maritime shipping, deteriorating fish stocks and gaps in fisheries management and the mounting pressure of marine plastic pollution.

In the past year, concerted efforts to scale up the implementation of the 2018-2022 Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) meant PEMSEA and its partner countries surpassed its integrated coastal management (ICM) targets ahead of schedule. Targeting to achieve at least 25% coverage of the region’s coastline by 2021, ICM coverage of the region’s coastline is now estimated at 37.9% as of December 2019.

This SEA circular country profile for China covers the socio-economic profile of China, and the coastal and marine ecosystem and economy. It details the plastics and packaging production and usage status and covers aspects of solid waste management - and the impact of both of these factors on marine litter status. Actions taken on marine plastics are detailed, covering government actions and the private sector. Global, regional and national policy frameworks related to China are detailed.