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15 countries have united behind the GEF-funded Plastics Integrated Program to transition to a circular economy in the food and beverage sector and combat plastic pollution from single-use plastic packaging
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$107-million program is the largest global investment in tackling plastic pollution to date
Brasília, 28 June 2023 – Fifteen countries from across the global south have united in the fight for a cleaner environment, with the approval of the largest global investment in tackling plastic pollution to date.
With funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, India, Jordan, Laos, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, South Africa and Senegal will collaborate to transition towards a circular economy for plastics under the $107-million program targeting single-use plastic packaging in the food and beverage industry.
Announced at the 64th meeting of the GEF Council in Brasília, the program will help build national capacities to prepare for the upcoming Global Plastics Treaty, which aims to comprehensively address the entire life cycle of plastics once negotiations are finalized in 2024.
Plastic pollution has been recognized as a pressing global crisis. Plastic production doubled from 234 million metric tonnes in 2000 to 430 million tonnes in 2019, with this figure expected to triple by 2060 if left unregulated at the international level.
“Plastic waste makes up 85 per cent of all marine pollution, with 1,000 rivers accounting for 80 percent of global annual riverine plastic emissions into the ocean. Unless we change how we produce, use and dispose of plastic, the amount of plastic waste entering aquatic ecosystems could nearly triple from 9-14 million tonnes per year in 2016 to a projected 23-37 million tonnes per year by 2040,” Leticia Carvalho, UNEP’s Head of Marine and Freshwater, said.
“This program is essential to help protect and restore marine and freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems, from source to sea, that are under threat from the plastic pollution scourge.”
The food and beverage sector alone accounts for approximately 40 per cent of total plastic use, most of this in short-lived and single-use items such as packaging and low-cost products. Therefore, the active engagement of the private sector, governments, and stakeholders within the food and beverage industry will be instrumental in driving innovation and in spurring systemic change.
“The surge in plastic waste presents severe environmental and socio-economic challenges that demand urgent action in today’s linear plastic economy including transitioning to a more holistic approach promoting circular solutions,” Isabelle Vanderbeck, manager of the UNEP International Waters portfolio, said.
Led by UNEP and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization the six-year Circular Solutions to Plastic Pollution Integrated Program will tackle plastic pollution using a circular economy approach.
The program aims to eliminate unnecessary plastic packaging and products, extend the life of packaging materials through product (re)design, establish new business models, keep products at their highest value for as long as possible in the value chain and implement reuse and refill systems for takeaway containers, as well as packaged food and beverages.
Leah Karrer, Senior Program Officer for Plastics at GEF, highlighted the significance of this program, stating: "One of the largest investments in tackling plastic pollution, this program will not only benefit the 15 participating developing countries but through global knowledge sharing and coordination, will scale to benefit countries worldwide."
Consisting of 15 national projects and one global platform project, the program will complement downstream actions, such as waste management, while catalyzing upstream actions, including regulatory and policy change, finance mobilization, private sector engagement, innovation, investment and behavior change.
Additionally, the program will leverage knowledge sharing and collaboration with global partners to scale up successful initiatives, creating a transformative impact.
By promoting circularity, the Program aims to protect biodiversity, preserve threatened habitats and ecosystems, enhance water quality, safeguard international waters and associated ecosystem services, and address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic production and waste incineration, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation.
"Moving the dial on plastic pollution will require driving holistic system change,” WWF Vice President of Plastic Waste and Business, Erin Simon said. “WWF is excited to be part of a Program that will not only galvanize the reduction of unnecessary single-use plastic and drive business model innovation, but also convene the level of global collaboration the planet needs to deliver impact at scale."
Elisa Tonda, Chief of UNEP’s Resources and Markets Branch, praised the initiative, saying: “UNEP and partners will join hands in this program that will trigger a systems change to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy of plastics, with concerted actions by key stakeholders across the plastics life cycle. It will be an essential component of the One Plastics Initiative, that will equip countries and regions with knowledge and solutions to reduce plastic pollution and improve their readiness for the coming global plastic treaty.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
About the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UN Environment works with governments, the private sector, civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.
About the Global Environment Facility
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution, and strains on land and ocean health. Its grants, blended financing, and policy support helps developing countries address their biggest environmental priorities and adhere to international environmental conventions. Over the past three decades, the GEF has provided more than $23 billion and mobilized $129 billion in co-financing for more than 5,000 national and regional projects.
For more information, please contact:
Isabelle Vanderbeck, Acting Chief, GEF International Waters Unit, UNEP
Samwel Adawo, Communications Specialist, International Waters Unit, UNEP
