Outcomes

A showcase of outcomes: How MARPLASTICCs is tackling the marine plastic pollution crisis in Africa and Asia

From Kenya to Viet Nam, the MARPLASTICCs project is generating positive impacts and is closing the plastic tap, one outcome at a time in five countries. From the work done on the circular economy, to the national hotspotting analysis research, to policy work toward Extended Producer Responsibility, the outcomes from this project are impactful and wide-ranging. The September 2020 Summary of Outcomes Report that was prepared for Sida, the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency, the MARPLASTICCs project has harvested 59 outcomes to date. Further outcomes are being documented for additional stories of impact that will be shared in 2021.

In Kenya for example, the efforts of the MARPLASTICCs partners are creating opportunities in plastics. In 2020, local community groups from Kilifi and Malindi counties were mobilized to collect plastic waste along their stretch of coastline, with the aim to reduce plastic leakage in the ocean and generate livelihoods for the communities. MARPLASTICCs contributed to that change through supporting the scaling up of the circular economy action initiated by the Watamu Marine Association (WMA) in the town of Watamu.

 “This is a significant achievement as it has resulted in reducing plastic pollution while also creating new livelihood opportunities for groups of people that are among the most disadvantaged by limited employment opportunities.” - Mr. Obadiah Mungai, Chief Economist, National Environment Management Authority of Kenya

In August 2020, Mozambique’s focus on the National Guidance for Plastic Pollution Hotspotting produced strong results. The ProAzul project funded by the World Bank used the results that came out of the national hotspot assessment for Mozambique as baseline input for their project to support better decision making and national action planning towards a blue economy.

 “The results of the hotspotting assessment helped to fill in the gap and to respond to an urgent need expressed by the ProAzul project, which will focus on strengthening key sectors of the Blue Economy such as fisheries.” – Ms. Carlota Amorda, MIMAIP focal point for the MARPLASTICCs project.

Another area where MARPLASTICCs is helping to close the plastic tap is in the Extended Producer Responsibility realm. In the MARPLASTICCs scoping studies on Marine Plastics legal and institutional frameworks, EPR has been highlighted and improved with deeper understanding as an environmental policy tool that promotes a circular economy. The government of South Africa initiated the process of developing new Extended Producer Responsibility policies. MARPLASTICCs created the collaborations and networks to achieve this with WWF South Africa and the South African government. What is currently lacking and identified as a priority gap in their policies was informed by the results of the MARPLASTICCs national policy scoping analysis. The South African government has begun developing a national plastics policy on 'Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)’, through a WWF South Africa-led initiative in partnership with IUCN, which is being funded by the Swedish EPA.

“There is a need to identify critical hotspots in order to help focus our energy and action. The identification of sector-specific plastic waste generation hotspots within the assessment by the IUCN is an important one to inform actions by various stakeholders, such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the National Cleaner Production Centre for South Africa. It is important that we recognise that the proposed interventions within the assessment should align with other related work in the sector, such as the Plastic Sector Masterplan,” - Mr. Dumisani Buthelezi, Director,  General Waste Minimization, Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa.

MARPLASTICCs’ work in Thailand focuses on guarding the ocean against plastics, where, since 2019, community members, employees of the Ranong Recycle for Environment Social Enterprise, fishermen and waste pickers from the province of Ranong have collected 84,267 kg of plastic that may have once been a threat to the ocean or the beaches. As infrastructure was lacking, MARPLASTICCs came in and changed this situation through co-funding, facilitating the creation of the recycling centre of the Jan and Oscar Foundation.

“Once considered as threat to the traditional way of life of the Moken community anchored in the sea, plastic has opened another stream of income source for the semi-nomadic fishing people, living on several islands in the Andaman Sea.” - Siriporn Sriaram, Marine Plastics and Coastal Communities Coordinator, Thailand Programme, IUCN

Returning to EPR; Viet Nam, through MARPLASTICCs, is Institutionalizing EPR's ‘take-back’ mechanism. In 2005, the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility was introduced in Viet Nam. However, the mechanism was not effective in reducing waste and increasing recycling rates. EPR schemes in Viet Nam had not listed plastic waste or products as being subject to the ‘take-back’ requirement, which obliged plastic producers to take older products that would have otherwise been thrown away, in order to renovate or use them. The system gives the responsibility of handling waste to the producer, meaning that they are to guarantee that their products are dealt with when they are at the end of their lives.

“EPR will contribute to reducing the cost of managing end-of-life products by reducing disposal and increasing recycling as well as improving the environment.”  - Bui Thi Thu Hien, Marine and Coastal Resources Programme Coordinator, IUCN Viet Nam

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This article is the first in a short series that will showcase outcomes of the MARPLASTICCs project. Stay tuned in 2021 for more updates!

MARPLASTICCs is a 2017-2021 project made possible through generous support from Sida, the Sweden International Development Cooperation Agency.

Photo: ©Sida