WUF11 Networking Event: Transitioning to a Circular Economy (CE) for Plastics in the Asia Pacific

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Summary

The future sustainability of cities in Asia and the Pacific  depends on the ability to innovate and integrate circular solutions for  resource efficient and resilient socio-economic development. The region  has witnessed a landmark shift, with more than half of its population  now living in urban areas. This has significant social, environmental,  and economic implications - as the proportion of people living in towns  and cities increases, the use and disposal of resources and their related impacts also increase. One of the most critical challenges is  the management of plastic waste, where purposeful interventions have the  potential to support transformational circular economies and build the  foundation for more sustainable communities.

Plastic pollution is a significant issue in the Asia-Pacific region,  with plastic waste contaminating land and water resources including  rivers, streams, and oceans. It is estimated that of the 8.3 billion  metric tonnes (Mt) of plastic produced globally over the past decades,  only nine per cent has been recycled, while 79 per cent has accumulated  in landfills or the natural environment and up to 13 million Mt enters  the oceans annually. If unchecked, the world’s oceans will contain  nearly 250 million metric tonnes of plastic by 2025.

Over 80 per cent of marine plastic waste comes from land-based  sources, making plastic the most common type of marine litter. Countries  with fast growing markets and underdeveloped waste management systems  in Asia may be responsible for as much as 60 per cent of global plastic  waste leakage. Most of the waste produced in developing countries could  be recovered to provide economic, social, and ecological value to  societies. However, currently most of the plastic produced is lost to  the economic supply chain, causing a serious threat to biodiversity,  ecosystems, human health and wellbeing, and municipal budgets. With only  18 to 28% of recyclable plastic recovered and recycled in these countries, most plastic packaging waste is not only left to pollute the  environment, littering beaches and roadsides, but its value to these  economies is also lost. This needs to change. Transforming how we use  and manage plastic is imperative and we must help countries shift to a  circular economy (CE) that seeks to design products that create no waste  or are reused and recycled.

This transition can only happen by focusing on enabling frameworks  that help to shift to circular solutions with a focus on innovative  tool, frontier technologies and developing appropriate standards and  policies that support this shift−from linear to circular.

The networking event planned as a panel discussion will focus on  initiatives and actions to transition to a CE for plastics, digital tool  and frontier technologies supporting circularity for plastics and best  practice case-studies from Asia-Pacific. The event will have  participation from representatives from the World Economic Forum,  multilateral and bilateral agencies, national and local governments and  private players, who will present insights and case studies on transitioning to a CE for plastics. The innovative tools, good practices  and lessons learned from cities/businesses/pilots will be explored to  promote inclusive, sustainable, and livable cities focusing on SDG 11  and 12.

Objectives

The key objective of the networking event is to bring together  stakeholders working in the space of CE for plastics highlighting data  driven digital tools, enabling frameworks, frontier technologies and  policies. The session will explore formulating a roadmap to transition  to CE for plastics. The discussant will share best practices in the  Asia-Pacific Region with focus on innovation and digitization,  standards, informal sector, and their role in CE transition and  promoting an inclusive multi-stakeholder approach. Further, the  discussants will exchange on how we can promote effective policies, partnerships and institutions that will allow cities in the Asia-Pacific  Region to adopt wide CE interventions on the ground.

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