The Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) (2019-2027) is funded by the Australian Government and implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in collaboration with Pacific Island Countries (PICs). POLP is working to reduce single-use plastic (SUP) marine litter in the coastal environments of PICs. It has been developed in recognition of the threat marine litter poses to the environment, public health, and economic development of the Pacific region. Pacific island countries (PICs) are economically vulnerable as they are heavily reliant on packaged imported goods and international development assistance. They are remote from international recycling markets and lack environmentally sound waste and resource management systems. These countries are also extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and severe weather events, which can generate excessive disaster-recovery loads to the normal or predicted waste levels.
This study was undertaken by WREN as part of the POLP, with goals of the study being to: – assess state-of-the-art research into environmentally acceptable non-plastic substitutes for single use plastics (SUPs) and their practical application, and to – provide a region-wide compendium of local and regional manufacturers and distributors of the substitute products. WREN led the development of a regional compendium of alternatives to single-use plastics (SUPs) for Pacific Island Countries, as part of the broader Pacific Ocean Litter Project. The work involved researching and compiling practical, scalable product alternatives that reflect local market realities and end-of-life management needs. The compendium serves as a key resource for governments, businesses, and communities looking to adopt viable plastic reduction measures, and contributes to the longer-term goals of reducing plastic waste in coastal environments and building technical capacity across the region.
