USAID Awards New Project to Prevent Ocean Plastic Pollution

On August 29th, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded a $48 million contract to reduce and prevent ocean plastic pollution around the world. Clean Cities Blue Ocean (CCBO) will serve as USAID’s flagship program to combat ocean plastics directly at their source in cities and towns.

An estimated eight million metric tons of plastic pours into the ocean each year. This global crisis largely originates from the lack of waste management and recycling systems in rapidly urbanizing areas in developing countries. While CCBO is global in scope, the program will build on previous USAID recycling programs such as the Municipal Waste Recycling Program through an initial focus on key countries in Asia and Latin America.

Under the five-year contract awarded to Tetra Tech, USAID will build capacity and commitment for the 3Rs─reduce, reuse, recycle─ to improve waste management practices and strengthen markets for recycled plastic in developing countries. To drive sustainable change, partnership with the private sector is central to CCBO. USAID will support innovative business models and technologies and promote market-based solutions for cleaner cities and healthy oceans.

For more information, please visit https://urban-links.org/ocean-plastics/