Guidance materials relevant for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste

Several guidance, guidelines, manuals, methodologies and strategies have been developed under the Basel Convention to assist Parties and others in its implementation. The table below lists materials of particular relevance for Parties in meeting their obligations with respect to the plastic waste amendment.

The technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of plastic waste are currently being updated. An ESM Toolkit has been developed by the expert working group on environmentally sound management (ESM) to promote implementation of the ESM framework adopted at COP-11 in 2013.

Online course on plastic waste

An online course “Plastic Waste and Basel Convention” has been developed, thanks to generous financial support provided by the European Union and in cooperation with UNITAR. The course explains the key provisions of the Basel Convention, thereby focusing on plastic waste across its three pillars: prevention and minimization of the generation of plastic waste; environmentally sound management of plastic waste; and control of transboundary movements of plastic waste.

The Plastic Waste Inventory Toolkit has been developed, thanks to generous financial support provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The inventory toolkit is currently used under various technical assistance projects on plastic waste to collect baseline information in the target countries.

Toolkit for the development of an inventory of plastic waste

Toolkit
 Download
Toolkit for consumption-lifespan method  
Toolkit for material flow analysis method    

Awareness-raising materials on plastic waste and related initiatives

The Secretariat has developed a series of factsheets to raise awareness of plastic waste and inform about relevant initiatives undertaken by the Secretariat and its partners.

Drowning in Plastics – Marine Litter and Plastic Waste Vital Graphics provides a complete overview of the global challenges related to marine litter and plastic waste, using graphic illustrations accompanied by condensed descriptions of key thematic areas. It describes challenges and possible solutions across the waste hierarchy. Drowning in Plastics also provides an overview of challenges and solutions related to bioplastics, and waste management in developing countries, as well as challenges and opportunities regarding gender aspects of waste management. Moreover, the reader will find an overview of governance and policy solutions covering the Basel Convention, national policies, global responses through the United Nations Environment Assembly, other global and regional initiatives, monitoring and assessment components, and broader systemic perspectives. This publication was developed as a collaborative effort between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions and GRID-Arendal.
Dive into the new story map on ‘Plastic waste and the Basel Convention’, featuring dynamic data visualization, videos and infographics, to find out more about the role of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments in controlling transboundary movements, advancing environmentally sound management, and promoting prevention and minimization of the generation of plastic waste.
Explore the role of the Basel Convention – currently the only global, legally binding instrument that specifically addresses plastic waste - in addressing plastic pollution. In 2019, the Conference of the Parties adopted the Plastic Waste Amendments, clarifying which types of plastic waste are subject to the control procedure for exports, transit and imports.
 Addressing plastic pollution under the Basel Convention
         
How the COVID-19
pandemic affects plastic waste
and the Basel Convention		   1. An introduction
to the global plastic
waste crisis
   2. Environmentally sound
management of plastic
waste
         
3. Control of transboundary
movements of plastic wastes		   4. Plastic waste prevention
and minimization		   5. Plastic additives
         
Actions to address Plastic
Waste		   Plastic Waste Partnership   Marine plastic litter and
microplastics
         
Tackling plastic waste in
Ghana and Sri Lanka
   How could the Basel, Rotterdam
and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions
contribute to the new global
treaty on Plastic Pollution
  
     

 
 
Municipal waste
management in Geneva

   PET - The pathway of your
(recyclable) plastic bottle

  


Guidance and guidelines under the Basel Convention

 
YearUN-numberTitleDownload
Items: 12  Files: 19
2016UNEP/CHW/PUB/GUID/MethodologicalGuideMethodological guide for the development of inventories of hazardous wastes and other wastes under the Basel Convention 2.52 MB
2002UNEP/CHW.6/21Technical guidelines for the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic wastes and for their disposal685 K
2013UNEP/CHW.11/3/Add.1/Rev.1Follow-up to the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention: Framework for the environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes and other wastes339.14 K
2017UNEP/CHW.13/4/Add.1/Rev.1Follow-up to the Indonesian-Swiss country-led initiative to improve the effectiveness of the Basel Convention: Set of practical manuals for the promotion of the environmentally sound management of wastes159.98 K548.14 K
2013UNEP/CHW.13/4/Add.2Glossary of terms1.12 MB
2019UNEP/CHW.14/5/Add.1Development of guidelines for environmentally sound management: Revised draft practical manuals on extended producer responsibility and financing systems for environmentally sound management275.14 K
2017UNEP/CHW.13/INF/11/Rev.1Guidance to assist Parties in developing efficient strategies for achieving the prevention and minimization of the generation of hazardous and other wastes and their disposal150.57 K565.89 K
2017UNEP/CHW.13/INF/37/Rev.1Guidance manual on how to improve the sea-land interface7.58 MB2.53 MB
2019UNEP/CHW.14/INF/6Revised draft practical manual for stakeholders to ensure that notifications of transboundary movements meet environmentally sound management requirements 76.9 K128.55 K
2019UNEP/CHW.14/INF/7Revised draft guidance to assist Parties in developing efficient strategies for achieving recycling and recovery of hazardous and other wastes117.31 K306.36 K
2019UNEP/CHW.14/INF/8Revised draft guidance on how to address the environmentally sound management of wastes in the informal sector89.2 K202.88 K
2019UNEP/CHW.14/INF/32Revised draft overall guidance document on the environmentally sound management of household waste59.88 MB3.2 MB