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.

The plastic waste crisis requires both global action and initiatives at the local level. These videos spotlight the inspiring outcomes of three pilot projects implemented in Galle City, Sri Lanka. Funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and facilitated by the BRS Secretariat, the pilots were carried out by the Ministry of Environment of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and local civil society organizations.
Witness the transformative efforts of schools, the tourism sector, and the fishing community: In schools, children, teachers and parents joined forces to sample microplastics in water, clean beaches, organize video competitions and create artworks from plastic waste. In tourism, three hotels developed action plans to reduce single-use plastics and installed special filters in their washing machines to capture microfibers. In fishing communities, fishermen teamed up with volunteers to collect and repaire waste fishing nets for reuse in the fishing and agriculture sectors, ensuring unrepaired nets were responsibly disposed of. These stories highlight practical steps toward reducing plastic waste and fostering sustainability. Watch the full series, which includes a special introduction by the Executive Secretary of the BRS Secretariat, or enjoy each video individually to discover these impactful initiatives. 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.

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.

UPDATES:

In addition to the English version, the course is now also available in French and Spanish. Moreover, the course has now been updated to reflect recent developments and lessons learned from pilot projects. 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.

Toolkit for the development of an inventory 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	Download
Toolkit for consumption-lifespan method
Toolkit for material flow analysis method

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.

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.
This compilation has been approved by the working group of the Plastic Waste Partnership of the Basel Convention. It is intended to assist Parties to the Basel Convention, authorities, stakeholders, and the public in the environmentally sound management of plastic wastes. It does not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the working group members on all the details of its content. This compilation should not be understood as derogating from the text of the Basel Convention or any decision(s) adopted by the Conference of the Parties and is without prejudice to the views of individual Parties. The information presented therein is current at the time of writing. The working group reserves the right to revise this content at any given time.
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

A series of factsheets has been developed showcasing many of the projects implemented under the SGP on plastic waste. Factsheets on other projects that have been completed are forthcoming shortly

BCRC Argentina's project in Argentina		BCRC Caribbean's project in Surname		BCRC China's project in Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka
BCRC Egypt's project in Jordan		BCRC Nigeria's project in Nigeria		BCRC Panama's project in Honduras, Guatemala and Panama
BCRC Senegal's project in Niger		BCRC Senegal's project in Rwanda		BCRC Slovakia's project in Albania, Belarus, B&H, Georgia, Moldova and NM
BCRC Slovakia's project in Albania