Dialogue on Plastics Circularity and Waste Management

Welcome to the Dialogue on Plastics Circularity and Waste Management Community of Practice.

Brief Background:

This virtual platform is a space to discuss, share knowledge or concerns, explore ideas, and communicate learnings relating to efforts to create a circular economy for plastics in the Pacific.

Increased production and consumption of single-use plastic products, coupled with poor waste management has left our environment laden with plastic waste that is threatening human well-being, natural ecosystems, and biodiversity. Our current take-make-waste economy drives a linear approach to plastics production and consumption. To create a more circular economy for plastics—where there is no plastic waste or pollution—we need a whole systems approach, in which stakeholders across the whole plastics value chain are practicing responsible production and consumption. Ideally, plastics in a circular economy are reusable, recyclable, or compostable. To do this we must ELIMINATE all unnecessary and problematic plastics, INNOVATE plastic design to ensure it is reusable, recyclable and/ or compostable, and ensure we CIRCULATE plastic products within the economy while keeping them out of the environment.

Objective:

The main objective of the Plastics Circularity and Waste Management CoP is to increase awareness around the plastics challenge. It aims to bring together like-minded people who share common concerns, interests, and are passionate—to create a space of knowledge sharing where creative ideas in tackling the complex and multifaceted plastics challenge can be generated. We hope to achieve effective dialogue around ways we can eliminate, innovate, and circulate plastic products in the Pacific.

Resources:

1. The Under-the-Radar Informal Waste Pickers of Etas Community in Port Vila