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 .

Further information is available on the Framework for the environmentally sound management (ESM) of hazardous wastes and other wastes , Following adoption of the ESM framework, an expert working group on ESM has developed practical tools to promote implementation of the framework, grouped in the ESM toolkit . The Technical guidelines on the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic wastes and for their disposal are currently being updated.

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.

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