New research suggests that regional approaches to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) could help to overcome persistent plastic waste management challenges in Small Island Developing States and remote coastal countries.
A Vision Paper sharing key insights from the research has been endorsed by 40 organisations from across regions and sectors. Endorsers include Nestle, CITEO, WWF, the International Council for Circular Economy and environmental departments of Tuvalu and Papua New Guinea among others.
Small Island Developing States are disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution, but often lack the land area, resources and market power to manage plastic waste effectively. Ambitious upstream and downstream measures are needed to significantly reduce plastic pollution and secure a healthy future for SIDS.
Among them, EPR has proven to be a successful model to support countries in their efforts to manage waste. However, the application of traditional EPR in SIDS poses unique challenges.
The research explores how remote geographies can adapt EPR schemes to their unique economic and geographic contexts.
It was conducted by Common Seas and Circulearth in collaboration with a group of expert advisors including WRAP, Africa Circular, ANZPAC Plastics Pact and the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre. The advisory group was formed through a matchmaking session facilitated by the PREVENT Waste Alliance.
The plastic challenge in SIDS
As well as being vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, SIDS are on the frontlines of a plastic pollution crisis not of their making. Despite contributing little to plastic production, their ecosystems, economies and health are disproportionately impacted by plastic pollution that they are often under-resourced to manage.
As custodians of 30% of the world’s ocean, it is vital that small island states are empowered to implement upstream measures to tackle plastic pollution ways that work for their specific contexts.
Throughout global policy debates, SIDS have demonstrated ocean leadership. But they have made it clear that they face unique circumstances that demand global, regional, national and cross-sectoral collaboration to create solutions tailored to their social, economic and environmental contexts.
Barriers to EPR implementation in SIDS
There is no silver bullet for reducing plastic pollution in remote geographies. Addressing this challenge requires comprehensive interventions across the entire lifecycle of plastics.
EPR is globally recognised as a proven mechanism for sustainable funding of waste management, shifting financial responsibility from governments to manufacturers and importers. So far, more than 400 EPR schemes have been implemented worldwide.
Although some SIDS have already implemented EPR schemes at a national level, persistent barriers remain due to their limited land area and physical distance from markets.
During consultations across various sectors in SIDS as part of the research, stakeholders repeatedly raised challenges associated with import-dependent economies, high logistics costs, and lack of local production.
Regional EPR as a solution
This new research explores how a tailored regional approach among neighbouring countries could address SIDS’ EPR challenges by pooling resources, unlocking shared infrastructure solutions, and driving sustainable financing for plastic management.
Among other benefits, a regional approach to EPR could provide funding to tackle remediation of ‘legacy’ plastic pollution washing up on SIDS’ shores – a key point of contention during Global Plastics Treaty negotiations.
Regional EPR could also be used as a lever to improve product design at both the national and regional level. This would ensure products placed on the market are better suited to the realities of island and remote communities, reducing plastic pollution at the source.
Thais Vojvodic, Director of Partnerships at Common Seas, says: “We are encouraged to see the broad support for this research from SIDS governments, private sector, PROs and civil society alike. Cross-sectoral and regional collaborations like these are vital to drive inclusive and innovative solutions to the pressing plastic problem in SIDS. We now look forward to our next steps with the Indian Ocean Commission to begin translating theory into practice in Indian Ocean SIDS, supporting the transition to a sustainable blue economy for SIDS and other remote coastal countries.”
Axel Darut, Founder of Circulearth, comments: “Through this regional EPR vision, we aim to foster shared learning, harmonised standards, and scalable solutions that reflect the unique realities of island nations. This approach not only strengthens circular resource management but also enhances regional resilience, turning plastic waste from an environmental burden into an opportunity for sustainable growth and innovation.”
SIDS leading the way in policy innovation
The challenges faced by SIDS today are a warning for coastal regions worldwide. As plastic production increases, more countries will encounter similar challenges – especially other countries that face the challenges associated with remoteness.
Despite demonstrating considerable ocean leadership, SIDS cannot tackle their mounting plastic challenge alone. The Global Plastics Treaty has the potential to introduce global rules that can support SIDS in tackling plastic pollution.
However, with the future of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations still unclear, this research is a signal that stakeholders across sectors are ready to collaborate at a regional level to ensure that – treaty or not – action is taken to protect the countries at most risk from the plastics crisis.
Our expert advisory group say…
“EPR is an excellent policy instrument for coordinating and funding the sustainable management of used/waste products and packaging. The uniqueness of SIDS makes traditional configurations of EPR very challenging, partly because of the large volumes of plastic waste introduced informally (i.e., beach wash-up), the lack of large brands with a physical presence in the states, and their remoteness to waste processing infrastructure. Consequently, there is a need to adopt flexibility during scheme design and implementation to maximise efficiency and impact.
SIDS have an excellent opportunity to adopt a regional approach to EPR, allowing an EPR scheme to operate across borders in a collective and collaborative manner. This approach ultimately minimises the administrative and financial costs associated with establishing and operating independent EPR schemes in each state, allowing SIDS to leverage preexisting waste management infrastructure in other states and maximising harmonisation.”
– Jordan Girling, Head of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) at WRAP
“This Vision Paper offers not just a set of recommendations, but a new way of thinking about how EPR can work for small islands and other remote coastal contexts. The momentum behind it shows that countries and companies alike are ready to move beyond one-size-fits-all models and co-design practical, scalable solutions. We’re proud to have supported this work and are excited to see it shaping real-world implementation.”
– Antaya March, Director of the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre
“With limited progress at the UN level on the plastics crisis, countries cannot wait – they must take initiative and adopt innovative solutions. A regional EPR approach offers a strong opportunity. Importantly, EPR should be more than a financing tool. It should return to its core purpose: driving circularity through design for waste prevention, reuse, and extending beyond packaging to textiles, electronics, and other priority waste streams. We’re pleased to have contributed to this study and to continue supporting its next steps.”
– Piotr Barczak, Program Manager at Africa Circular