UNEP/COBSEA SEA Circular, 2018-2024

SEA circular project aims to reduce the adverse impact of land-based plastic leakage into the marine environment by ensuring that less plastic is produced at the source and the management of the plastic value chain is improved in Southeast Asia. Considering waste management systems in the region remain inadequate to process increasing amounts of plastic waste, the project focuses on the life cycle stages of (i) Production of plastic products, (ii) Plastic use, and (iii) Collection/sorting/ recycling to ensure that less plastic is wasted and strategically prevent plastic litter from entering the ocean. To achieve these objectives, the project leverages UNEPs technical expertise and COBSEAs intergovernmental mechanism to facilitate regional learning and coordinated action. Project partners include national and local governments, the private sector (e.g., producers, retailers, associations in the packaging industry, consumers, institutional products industry), academic and research institutes, international organizations, as well as civil society and non-governmental organizations. The project promotes a gender-responsive and human rights-based approach to identify people-centred and equitable solutions and actively engages all groups of society, including consumers, informal waste workers, and coastal communities who are most vulnerable to the impacts of marine litter and plastic pollution. The strategic focus of the extension phase (2023-2024) is on two complementary focus areas: 1) addressing the plastic pollution and marine litter in the Southeast Asia region, and (2) strengthening the capacities of Member States in the Southeast Asia region for effective participation in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process for a global treaty to end plastic pollution. The project outcome and extension results are designed to support countries in the Southeast Asia region to develop and implement policy measures and promote circularity in the plastic value chain to address plastic pollution at source and avoid leakage into the environment. Key achievements from the projects extension phase include the development of market-based solutions such as policy recommendations on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), regional capacity-building sessions involving over 145 stakeholders, and the launch of globally impactful awareness campaigns like the Plastic, not so fantastic! which reached 17 million people. The project also fostered collaboration and innovation through events like the SEA of Solutions 2024 conference, which convened over 600 participants to exchange best practices and catalyse regional actions. In the section below, key achievements are reported against the outcome and output indicators in the results framework, which contribute to the achievement of one unified outcome National actors adopt and implement policy measures, and consumer and private sector increase efforts to enhance the reduction in the most harmful and difficult to recycle plastics, as well as plastic reused and recycled in the Southeast Asian region. Outcome results: - All six targeted Southeast Asia countries have developed national marine litter policies and regulations in line with COBSEA RAP MALI. - More than 37 policy measures and initiatives have been implemented by six Southeast Asian countries to reduce plastic pollution and promote plastic circularity. These measures align with various multilateral environmental agreements and INC processes. - More than 37 million consumers reached through awareness raising activities, which is an increase of 85% or 17 million consumers outreached compared to 2022.

SEA circular is an initiative of UN Environment Programme and the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) to inspire market-based solutions and encourage enabling policies to prevent marine plastic pollution. The SEA Circular is aiming at: National actors adopt and implement policy measures, and consumers and private sector increase efforts to enhance the reduction in the most harmful and difficult to recycle plastics in Southeast Asia region, as well as plastic reused and recycled. The project has developed four interlinked outputs to tackle the problems in the management of the plastic value chain. Output 1: Market-based solutions towards less plastic wasted accessible to national and regional actors in the plastic value chain. Extension Result 1: A regional Plastics Circularity guidance framework developed by bringing the learnings from the 6 countries in Southeast Asia that integrate a human rights-based approach (HRBA) for market-based solutions, which will support stakeholders in the plastic value chain to improve the rate of collecting, sorting, and recycling as part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Extension Result 2: Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in 4 countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Viet Nam) are more knowledgeable on how to increase plastic waste collection and recycling through engagement with Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). Output 2: Scientific basis for decision-making on marine litter enhanced. Extension Result 3: Implementation of the national marine litter monitoring plans and national marine litter policies of 5 countries (Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam) accelerated by training and capacity building for relevant stakeholders, informed by the guidance and knowledge products from SEA circular. Output 3: Outreach on plastic pollution and its impact enhanced. Extension Result 4: Best practices of plastics circularity inform national solutions and the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including for the marine environment, through Southeast Asia-based regional dialogues and knowledge exchange platforms. Extension Result 5: Consumer awareness of solutions concerning marine litter and plastic pollution is increased to inform decision making and behaviour change. Output 4: National actors in the region are more knowledgeable on how to coordinate action on plastic pollution. Extension Result 6: Guidelines developed for managing the plastic value chain, building upon SEA circular's solutions and recommendations for the implementation of national marine litter plans, policies, regulations, and standards in South east Asia and the harmonization of standards and practices through ASEAN and COBSEA. Extension Result 7: The implementation of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework of at least 3 SEA countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines) incorporates joint UN initiatives to support respective countries to accelerate solutions to end plastic waste. Extension Result 8: The fifth SEA circular SEA of Solutions (SoS) on Circularity for Ending Plastic Pollution Forum showcases innovative solutions and strengthened strategic partnerships that have accelerated progress to end plastic pollution in the Southeast Asian region. The project outputs supports the implementation of COBSEAs revised Regional Action Plan for Marine Litter (RAP-MALI), which was endorsed at COBSEAs Inter- Governmental Meeting in June 2019. The project is also in line and supports the implementation of the global UN Environment Assembly resolutions 1/6, 2/11 and UNEA 3 resolution (UNEP/EA.3/ L.20), recognising marine plastic litter and micro plastics as a global priority requiring regional solutions. Implementation will leverage existing partnerships and networks as well as build and strengthen new partnerships to promote new and emerging areas of work in the SEA region while supporting the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee process 2022-2024 to end plastic pollution.