1. Marine debris and plastic waste management: International experiences
International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC)
Osaka, Japan
Presented by Jamil Ahmad, Deputy Director of the UN Environment New York Office
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2. What are marine debris? Where does marine debris come from?
Any material that is man-made, solid, entering waterways
directly through littering or indirectly, via rivers, streams, storm drains.
Where does marine debris come from?
8 million metric tons of plastic goes into the ocean, every year.
It is estimated that between 80 and 95% of waste that enters the rivers, estuaries and seas does so from land.
Project MainStream, a multi-industry, global initiative launched in 2014 by the World Economic Forum estimated that
“By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans”
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© Zac Noyle 2

3. Associated public health issues
Source: Tumblr
Marine plastic waste and marine debris are not solely and environmental concern, but they have serious and durable health consequences for humans and animals alike. 3

4. Opportunities for Improvements
Normative & Legislative
Strategies and Action Plans
Regulations & Bans
Financial Incentives
Technological
Plastic to fuel
Recycling
Waste to Energy
Behavioural
Consumers behaviours (consumers have the power to drive demand and therefore influence production)
Improved awareness and education (environmental awareness, business opportunities by attaching a value to waste)
Production
Life cycle thinking (i.e. better design, use of alternative and environmentally sound material and technologies)
Circular economy approach
What can be done to improve the current situation? This slide shows some examples, grouped into four sets of opportunities for improvements.
In summary , the key aspect that have to be considered in an interconnected fashion, are listed in this slide.
Starting with giving priority to reducing the source of marine plastic generation.
Secondly and highly important are Policy and legislative framework
Public private partnerships
Private Sector and consumers engagement
Financing
Awareness raising and education
development and uptake of environmentally sound technologies
It is therefore critical, that producers, retailers, consumers, distributors, municipalities, collectors and recyclers actively engage to develop action plans and strategies for best practice. 4

5. Waste Management: A Global Challenge
It is clear that ,we cannot talk about minimization of marine plastic waste without understanding and resolving the challenges related to waste management
Given that 80-95% of waste that enters the rivers, estuaries and seas does so from land.
The main facts that help to put things in context:
The world population is expected to grow from 7.3 to 8.3 billion between 2016 and 2030
10 billion tons of urban waste generated annually
2 billion people without access to solid waste collection
In addition to the above points,
There is a strong correlation between per capita waste generation and the income level of a country.
The higher the per capita GNI (Gross National Income), the higher the per capita MSW generation.
Similarly, at a city-level, it can be seen that high-income cities tend to generate more MSW per capita as compared to those with lower incomes.

6. Waste Management: A cross-cutting issue
A reduction of 15 to 20% of worldwide GHG emissions could be achieved through sustainable waste management*
Waste management is an entry point to address a wide range of sustainable development issues, many of which are difficult to tackle:
Pollution and public health
Climate change and natural disasters
Engaging industry stakeholders (including the informal sector)
Seizing economic opportunities (green jobs, resource efficiency) 6
*Source: UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook 2015

7. Global initiatives to minimize marine plastic waste and marine debris

8. Turn the tide on plastic
CleanSeas Campaign:
Turn the tide on plastic
Over the next 5 years, UN Environment aims to transform habits, practices, standards and policies around the globe to dramatically reduce marine litter and the harm it causes.
UN Environment is at the frontline of leading the fight against marine pollution. The next set of slides will present a number of initiatives that UN Environment is supporting world wide
#CleanSeas 8

9. Global Partnership on Marine Litter
The GPML is a global partnership gathering international agencies, Governments, NGOs, academia, private sector, civil society and individuals
Objectives
a) To reduce the impacts of marine litter worldwide on economies, ecosystem, animal welfare and human health.  b) To enhance international cooperation and coordination through the promotion and implementation of the Honolulu Strategy - a global framework for the prevention and management of marine debris, as well as the Honolulu Commitment – a multi-stakeholder pledge. c) To promote knowledge management, information sharing and monitoring of progress on the implementation of the Honolulu Strategy. d) To promote resource efficiency and economic development through waste prevention (e.g. 4Rs (reduce, re-use, recycle and re-design) and by recovering valuable material and/or energy from waste. e) To increase awareness on sources of marine litter, their fate and impacts. f ) To assess emerging issues related to the fate and potential influence of marine litter, including (micro) plastics uptake in the food web and associated transfer of pollutants and impacts on the conservation and welfare of marine fauna. 9

10. The Next Wave Investment Strategies for Plastic Free Seas
An initiative of the Trash Free Seas Alliance, The Next Wave: Investment Strategies for Plastic Free Seas presents a thorough analysis designed to lay out options to more easily attract investment to effective waste management in key regions. 
Keith Alverson, Director of UN Environment-Ineternational Environmental Technology Centre (IETC), contributed to the report as a Technical  Advisor. According to him, “this report shows that the barriers to dramatic reduction of plastic in the ocean are surmountable.” 10

11. The SIDS Waste Management Outlook
The Small Island Developing State Waste Management Outlook is currently being development by UN Environment IETC.
Waste management on islands calls for region-specific policies and adapted technologies.
Representatives interested in being part of the process please contact
SIDS face specific challenges related to geographic factors such as the available land space and economic factors, such as the proportion of imports and barriers to trade.
To ensure that the publication reflects the SIDS perspectives, IETC is organising regional consultations in the Caribbean, the Pacific and the AIMS Region (Africa, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China Sea).
We welcome contributions from experts in the audience and in particular it is worth mentioning that are now collecting nominations for the Technical Review Committee, and we have been receiving good interest from all the regions, WE WELCOME ANY INTEREST FROM THIS AUDIENCE 11
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12. NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (ML) (2008)
NOWPAP’s efforts to address marine litter problems
NOWPAP Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter (ML) (2008)
Prevent ML input
Monitoring quantities and distribution of ML
Remove existing ML
Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP) is the intergovernmental mechanism for the protection and sustainable development of coastal and marine environment in the North Pacific established in 1994 by Japan, P. R. China, R. Korea, and the Russian Federation. It is one of the 18 UN Environment Regional Seas Programmes.
NOWPAP worked on marine litter issues since 2005 that resulted in the adoption of the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in It was the first voluntary action plan among various Regional Seas programmes.
The Plan aims to improve the quality of the marine and coastal environment of the Northwest Pacific region by addressing the marine litter problem through cooperation and partnerships and has the three overarching objectives:
- To prevent the marine litter input into the marine and coastal environment;
- To monitor the quantities and distribution of marine litter; and
- To remove existing litter that was already discarded, disposed of and abandoned. 12
NOWPAP
Northwest Pacific Action Plan
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13. Northwest Pacific Action Plan
NOWPAP: Many but one example of
Buy Back Program in the Republic of Korea
LOCAL ACTION THAT CHANGED BEHAVIOR AND RESULTED IN:
Collection of more than 31,000 tons of discarded fishing gear and other litter at sea
Mobilized investments by the central and local governments reached USD 20 million
Number of collection sites is expected to be 80 in 2018
Cost-savings of more than €1.5 million during the first phase ( )
More than 46,000 new jobs, mostly among seniors
The Program was introduced to encourage fishers to collect marine litter for monetary reward. The Program is an integral part of the First ( ) and Second ( ) Basic National Action Plan on Marine Litter.
Its achievements are measured in:
The total amount of purchased discarded at sea marine litter ADLFG between 2009 and 2012 reached 30,959 tons.
The total investments combined by the central and local governments reached USD 20 million
Number of collection sites increased from zero in 2009 to 60 in 2014 and projected to increase up to 80 in 2018
The program was cost-effective saving government about €1.5 million during the first phase ( );
>46,000 local residents (mostly senior people) were hired as workers 13
NOWPAP
Northwest Pacific Action Plan
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14. Thank you www.unep.org/ietc For further questions, contact
Habib El-Habr, Coordinator Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities (GPA)
Claudia Giacovelli & Donatien Von Roland International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC)