Common Seas recently celebrated a major milestone in our work to tackle plastic pollution in Small Island Developing States.
We have now completed the co-development of three policy roadmaps and two reports on recommendations to radically reduce plastic pollution in Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia and Tuvalu.
Setting out tailored policies to reduce waste generation and prevent plastic from leaking into the environment, these ambitious plans could reduce plastic pollution by up to 79% over the coming decade.
This milestone is the product of many months of collaborative work with our government partners, alongside local NGOs, waste management experts and industry to understand plastic pollution in each country and identify the most impactful policies to tackle it.
How did we get here?
In 2024, the Sustainable Blue Economies Programme awarded nonprofit Common Seas £1.6 million in funding to support national action to radically reduce plastic pollution in SIDS. This builds on the SBE Programme’s work to enhance the resilience of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Common Seas established partnerships with five pioneering SIDS to co-develop National Action Plans and Reports on Recommendations to address plastic pollution in each country. Together, we began exploring policy solutions to protect vital ecosystems, build economic resilience and support healthier communities.
In close partnership with governments and local stakeholders, we collected data on plastic waste streams in each country, using the UN-endorsed Plastic Drawdown tool to analyse the sources and flows of plastic pollution in each country.
We tested our findings during in-country workshops with stakeholders from across sectors to enhance our insights, then modelling the most effective policy interventions to reduce plastic waste generation and leakage.
For each country, we presented practical, tailored policies that, by 2035, could drive plastic pollution reductions of:
- 61% in Papua New Guinea (46,000 tonnes per year)
- 79% in Guinea-Bissau (9,750 tonnes per year)
- 40.9% in Tuvalu (20.5 tonnes per year)
- 79% in Grenada (352 tonnes per year)
- 38% in Saint Lucia (120 tonnes per year), building on the country’s Marine Litter Management Action Plan
Thais Vojvodic, Director of Partnerships, says: “We are delighted to have co-developed ambitious policy reports that can enable our partners in Guinea-Bissau, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu and Saint Lucia to radically reduce plastic pollution.
“By developing a deep understanding of the plastic pollution challenge in each country and identifying the most practical and impactful solutions to tackle it, SIDS can turn the tide on plastic pollution, drive blue economy resilience and protect their communities. However, with small island states being disproportionally impacted by plastic pollution, securing a just future for SIDS requires global action. We are grateful for the support and partnership of UK International Development in championing this vital work.”
Plastic pollution in small island states
SIDS are custodians of nearly a third of the world’s ocean and rely heavily on healthy marine ecosystems for thriving economies and communities. 11 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean each year, with large volumes washing up on the shores of small islands. Plastic production is also a major driver of climate change, which presents an existential threat to many small island states. This makes tackling plastic pollution a major priority for both SIDS nations, and for the blue economy at large.
Many SIDS are at the forefront of the global movement to end plastic pollution. However, global cooperation is vital to mobilise the resources needed to secure their sustainable development.
What’s next?
The impact of implementing the policies recommended can bring numerous co-benefits across for ecosystems, economies and communities. As Programme Manager, Faryal Gohar, commented in a LinkedIn post, “standing on the shoreline, you realise those percentages mean children kept safe, rivers kept clean, ecosystems kept alive.”
The focus of the project is now supporting countries to successfully implement their plans and drive impactful, coordinated action by unlocking financing opportunities and strengthening institutional capacity.
Now, we look forward to continuing our collaborations and driving the next steps to drive blue economy resilience for SIDs a secure healthy ocean, freed from plastic.
To read the full plans and reports – or to learn more about our work with SIDS governments, click here.