One key activity implemented as part of various technical assistance projects on plastic waste, is the development of a national inventory of plastic waste. Developing a national inventory supports Parties in collecting baseline data on their plastic waste management systems.
In the context of the Basel Convention, a plastic waste inventory can provide data on the amount of plastic waste generated, managed, disposed of, and leaked to the environment at the national level.
Having a clear picture of the types and quantities of plastic waste generated provides the basis for its environmentally sound management (ESM). The development of a plastic waste inventory should therefore be streamlined with the process of developing national policies, legislation and planning for:
- The collection and disposal of plastic waste;
- Facilities for the recovery, recycling and final disposal of plastic waste;
- The regulation of the transboundary movement of plastic waste.
The development of a plastic waste inventory provides Parties with a structured framework for collecting data and information, which Parties can use to fulfil their national reporting obligations under Article 13 of the Basel Convention. The practical guidance on the development of inventories of plastic waste has been developed to assist Parties in that regard.
Plastic Waste Inventory Toolkit
The BRS Secretariat has developed two Plastic Waste Inventory Toolkits to support Parties in developing a national inventory of plastic waste in accordance with the Practical Guidance on the development of inventories of plastic waste. The Toolkits provide support in the use of the product lifetime, and material flow analysis methodologies, and was developed thanks to generous financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and Government of Japan.
Results from plastic waste inventory TA activities
Case studies have been developed to illustrate the use of the Practical Guidance and the Plastic Waste Inventory Toolkit.
Results of the completed plastic waste inventories are published here.