The Global Plastics Outlook (2022) notes that only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled globally, whilst the rest ends up in landfill (49%), being formally incinerated (19%) or mismanaged / uncollected (22%). This outlook is markedly different in Africa in that 64% of all plastic waste is mismanaged / uncollected. In these few sentences lie many complex challenges, but also opportunities to curb the tide on plastic waste in creating recycling businesses, new product design solutions and livelihood opportunities. I was honoured to represent The SMEP Programme and our 10 plastic projects at the WTO's Public Forum this week in Geneva. I shared the stage with these esteemed panelists (Henrique Pacini , Heloisa Pereira Tetyana Payosova and Aleksander Sobolenko) - which made for a rich discussion around the role of trade in the circular plastics economy. Some takeaways for me: ✅ Certification and standards are lagging behind innovation of plastic alternatives. This hinders commercialisation and trading of these new innovative plastic substitutes. For example, this is experienced by a SMEP Programme, Catchgreen (who has developed a world first biodegradable fishing gear with @GAIABiomaterials) and also by the company Releaf Paper who is producing packaging and paper from fallen leaves (represented by Aleksander on the panel here). ✅Contextual realities in developing countries add additional complexities for smaller recycling operations when trying to access export markets. These include logistical and transport challenges in retrieving plastic waste (used as feedstock) from the environment and transporting recycled semi-finished or finished goods to ports, costly import taxes on equipment needed for recycling, etc. ✅These are important insights for higher-level discussions such as here at the WTO and during the negotiations of the INC Plastic treaty in ensuring that resources and finance mechanisms support an inclusive transition to a circular plastics economy. Thank you Henrique Pacini and @UNTAD for the invite. So honoured to meet the panelists and most of all to represent the passionate SMEP grantees who create magic despite the odds! The FlipFlopi Project RiverRecycle Catchgreen Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) GIVO Africa The Fresh Produce Impact Hub (FRESHPPACT) Impact Hub Kathmandu
What a week! Over 4400 participants gathered at the WTO's Public Forum. As part of the event, and with support from UK-FCDO, the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Brazil's MDIC jointly organized a session discussing how a transition to a new plastics economy can be made possible. We heard from Heloisa Pereira, Brazil's undersecretary for foreign trade, on the potential for multiple trade-restrictive measures being contemplated in the #INC negotiating text; From Alexander Sobolenko on how his company Releaf Paper is tackling the risks of regrettable material substitution by focusing on waste-based cellulosic sources (fallen leaves) for paper & packaging applications; From Elzette Henshilwood on how African and South Asian entrepreneurs under the The SMEP Programme ultimately rely on foreign market access to upscale their operations; and from Tetyana Payosova, who in addition to being a prolific moderator, also presented initial insights on a study mapping the critical role of trade-in-services in plastic pollution mitigation. https://lnkd.in/e8Vyh49S
Environmental Artivist - Ocean Plastic Artist -
3moSo proud of you my friend Elzette Henshilwood ! What an important role you are playing in not only helping to raise awareness but help facilitate change through The SMEP Programme