Guidance materials and toolkits

The Basel Convention Secretariat has produced a wide range of resources to support Parties in the practical design and implementation of initiatives that address plastic pollution.

Technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of plastic waste

  

The present technical guidelines provide guidance on the environmentally sound management (ESM) of plastic wastes, pursuant to decisions BC-14/13 and BC-15/10 and BC-16/4 of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. This document supersedes the technical guidelines for the identification and environmentally sound management of plastic wastes and for their disposal of December 2002.

  English: Download in English - PDF

The Technical guidelines for the identification and environmentally sound management (ESM) of plastic wastes and for their disposal provide comprehensive guidance to Parties on:

  • The scientific and technical background to plastic waste;
  • The relevant legal and policy framework under the Basel Convention, as well as other MEAs
  • Best practices for the environmentally sound management of plastic waste
  • Technical assistance and capacity building available to Parties from the BRS Secretariat.

More information on the technical guidelines can be found here.

Practical guidance and Toolkit for the development of an inventory of plastic waste

The BRS Secretariat has developed the Plastic Waste Inventory Toolkit 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 Toolkit was developed thanks to generous financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.

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

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.

In addition to the English version, the course is also available in French and Spanish. The course has been translated and updated thanks to generous financial support provided by Switzerland.

The course is now also available on InforMEA via this link.

Teacher’s Manual and Student Workbook – plastic pollution curriculum in the classroom

The Teachers' Manual and the Students' Workbook was developed with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, to engage educators and students on critical topics related to plastic pollution. The books are divided into various sections, offering a diverse range of activities to enhance the learning experience by covering classroom activities with labs, games and investigations on plastic-related topics. Beyond the classroom, the materials provide guidance on organizing festivals to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the marine environment, including marine litter activities.

Introducing the Teachers' Manual and the Students' Workbook developed to engage both educators and students on critical topics related to plastic pollution. The books, developed under the BRS-Norad project, are divided into various sections, offering a diverse range of activities to enhance the learning experience by covering classroom activities with labs, games and investigations on plastic-related topics. Beyond the classroom, the materials provide guidance on organizing festivals to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the marine environment, including marine litter activities.




Toolkit for plastic waste-free hospitality

The toolkit for plastic waste-free hospitality provides practical recommendations and suggestions for how to reduce plastic waste in hospitality settings. It encourages building partnerships to better implement strategies and strong communication. The toolkit is complemented by a template Roadmap for Plastic Waste Free Hotels.

As part of the project in Sri Lanka, a specific national guide was developed to support small and medium hotels to develop plastic-free strategies. It offers guidance on process of reducing plastic usage by adopting sustainable alternatives and provides insights to ensure the environmentally sound management of plastic waste. The guide is primarily targeted at hotels, but may also serve a as a valuable resource for other relevant entities, including from the public sector and civil society.



As another key output of the pilot implemented in the tourism sector, a ‘Guide to Manage Plastic Waste at Small and Medium Hotels in Sri Lanka’ was developed. It offers guidance on process of reducing plastic usage by adopting sustainable alternatives and provides insights to ensure the environmentally sound management of plastic waste. The guide is primarily targeted at hotels, in particular small and medium hotels, but may also serve a as a valuable resource for other relevant entities, including from the public sector and civil society.