SEA of Solutions
SEA of Solutions
SEA of Solutions (SoS) conference is the annual partnership event towards solving plastic pollution at source. This conference serves as a platform for the exchange of information, sharing best practices, fostering meaningful dialogue, and facilitating collaboration and partnership opportunities to advance circularity within the plastic value chain. This event is organized by the SEA circular project, an initiative led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), with support from the Government of Sweden.
SEA of Solutions 2024
Event Theme: Rising actions to end plastic pollution in Asia Pacific
Event Date: 18 – 20 September 2024 at 08:30 – 17:00 (GMT+7)
Event Location: Conference Room 3, United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand (Hybrid)
Event URL: Coming Soon
SEA of Solutions 2022
Event Theme: A Spotlight on Solutions to end plastic pollution in South-East Asia
Event Date: 23 – 24 November 2022
Event Location: Virtual Event
Event URL: sos2022.sea-circular.org
The triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss needed to be addressed for humanity to have a viable future on this planet. Plastic pollution is a key contributor to this crisis and choked our seas, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods. It was a by-product of an essentially linear system in which over 75% of the material value of plastic was lost following a short first-use cycle.
Transitioning from this linear system to a circular economy demanded impactful solutions across the plastic value chain from designing, producing, and consuming products to post-consumer waste management.
Over the last three years, SEA of Solutions (SoS) – SEA circular’s annual flagship event – served as an avenue to exchange best practices, enable meaningful dialogue, and empower stakeholders to promote circularity in the plastic value chain within South-East Asia.
SoS 2022 spotlighted unique and impactful solutions along the plastic value chain, covering three cross-cutting themes – Innovation, Inclusion, and Collaboration.
The spotlighted solutions exhibited effective approaches to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, including:
- Plastic avoidance and alternative solutions design;
- Expanding lifecycle by reducing plastic usage at design and consumption stages; and
- Removal and better recycling initiatives to allow new post-consumer applications.
In addition, the inclusive and sustainable nature of the solutions was brought to the fore through how they addressed gender, human rights, and responsible business conduct.
Alongside the solutions spotlight, SoS 2022 hosted a set of keynotes, special remarks, and panel discussions featuring regional actors and experts in plastic circularity, bringing together businesses, policymakers, communities, youth, civil society, and development actors.
The SoS 2022 event helped achieve the following objectives:
- Exchange ideas, best practices and market-based solutions to impending challenges in the value chain.
- Enable a dialogue amongst key stakeholders to explore collaboration opportunities and adoption of spotlighted best practices.
- Empower actors, including government, private sector and civil society, with new knowledge and insights on the trends and upcoming developments as the world moves toward a global plastic agreement.
SEA of Solutions 2021
Event Theme: Accelerating solutions to reduce plastic waste
Event Date: 16 – 18 November 2021
Event Location: Virtual Event
Event URL: sos2021.sea-circular.org
The COVID-19 pandemic had an immense impact on public, economic, and environmental health. As the world continued to battle against an invisible enemy, a more obvious and potentially longer-lasting threat emerged with the rise of single-use plastic, which not only burdened waste management systems but ultimately threatened life on land and life below water.
In a bid to save lives and prevent contagion, immediate measures were introduced at the onset of the pandemic such as the use of personal protective equipment. Moreover, additional measures and new consumption patterns were observed including extensive use of food delivery and e-commerce, delays or reversals in single-use plastic bans, and even the reintroduction of reusables in business establishments and cities.
In 2020, SEA of Solutions participants explored and addressed priorities in the region to help combat a resurgence in the use of plastics in response to the impacts of the pandemic. This year, SEA of Solutions revisited and showcased actions and innovations to support countries, industries, and communities to get back on track and build back better – with renewed commitments, solutions, and clear directions on the way forward.
The event aimed to:
- Discuss challenges and opportunities in implementing regional, national and local strategies on plastic waste prevention and disposal;
- Explore innovative financing mechanisms that could help accelerate a transition towards a less plastic waste future;
- Feature latest digital technologies to support evidence-based decision-making approaches to combat plastic pollution;
- Present tools and incentive models to support businesses and social enterprises in measuring, reporting and reducing their plastic footprint; and
- Promote consumer advocacy and outreach to beat plastic pollution.
To learn more about the event, please visit https://sos2021.sea-circular.org
SEA of Solutions 2020
Event Theme: Wasting less plastic and keeping it out of the ocean – Has the needle moved?
Event Date: 24 – 26 November 2020
Event Location: Virtual Event
Event URL: sos2020.sea-circular.org
SEA of Solutions is an annually occurring partnership event towards solving plastic pollution at source, convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), through the SEA circular project supported by the Government of Sweden. This year’s SEA of Solutions 2020 was organized in collaboration with the government of Viet Nam.
SOS2020 united seekers and providers of market-transforming policy, business, and technology solutions, enabling networking among plastic value-chain stakeholders to facilitate information exchange, collaboration, and partnerships that resulted in reduced single-use plastic production, use of alternative packaging, and increased collection for recycling.
Under the overall theme “Wasting less plastic and keeping it out of the ocean – Has the needle moved?” SOS2020 aimed to:
- Discuss the challenges of managing COVID-19-related waste and the identify the ongoing efforts and multi-stakeholder responses and solutions, with a focus on reduction and recycling;
- Highlight opportunities for transformation through footprint measurement, reporting, and disclosure, plastic neutrality and monetizing waste for communities and businesses;
- Promote and enable policies and incentives towards less plastic wasted through a deeper understanding of market perceptions and consumer behavior.
SEA of Solutions 2019
Event Theme: Partnership week for marine plastic pollution prevention
Event Date: 11 – 14 November 2019
Event Location: United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok
Event URL: sos2019.sea-circular.org
Plastic waste is choking our rivers and seas, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods in South East Asia. Striving for cleaner seas, less plastic wasted and a more circular economy requires fundamental changes throughout the plastic value chain.
SEA of Solutions 2019 was the first annual partnership week convened by SEA circular – an initiative from the UN Environment Programme and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), with support from the Swedish Government – to inspire market-based solutions and encourage enabling policies to prevent marine plastic pollution in South East Asia. SEA circular worked in partnership with governments, businesses, civil society, development partners, academia, UN agencies, and the media to solve plastic pollution at the source.
SEA of Solutions 2019 brought together governments, business leaders, scientists, UN agencies, and community groups to dialogue on solutions for marine plastic pollution.
SEA of Solutions 2019 aimed to:
- Inform: Showcase dynamic dialogue on topical issues – including trade of plastic waste, second life markets and recovery, circular economy, and packaging and e-commerce.
- Inspire: Provide a platform for private sector, academia, governments and communities to connect and effect change.
- Activate: Build partnerships and initiate regional coordination efforts, to find tangible solutions
- to marine plastic pollution in South East Asia.