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A Plastic Wrapped Life

Spread over an area bigger than the United States, the approximately 17,000 islands of Indonesia are home to more than 260 million people. It is the largest economy in Southeast Asia[1] and the second-most biodiverse country in the world.[2] A city skyline view of Jakarta, Indonesia. |… Read More

Ethiopia’s Rapid Urbanization Requires Innovative Municipal Finance

By 2037, Ethiopia’s urban population will double to 42.3 million people. Job creation and innovative municipal financing mechanisms will be integral to a successful urban transition and long term economic growth for the country. To drive the creation of new revenue streams through its industrial sector, Ethiopia has built… Read More

Collaboration in Indonesia to Combat Ocean Plastic

For Indonesia, plastic waste entering the ocean is a huge problem. The country is the number two contributor of plastic waste in the ocean causing negative environmental effects and hurting tourism, a driving economic force for the country. (See Jameck… Read More

Municipal Finance: Self-Reliant Cities Generate their Own Revenue

Cities account for nearly 80 percent of global domestic product. A suite of municipal services exists to support urban economic growth including water and sanitation, housing, transportation, and more. Both city residents and the businesses employing them require these services to thrive. However, despite growing demands from rapidly urbanizing populations,… Read More

Moving Up the Recycling Value Chain

In the Philippines, both formal and informal private sector actors manage the recycling value chain. Small recycling centers called junk shops play a critical role in this chain by purchasing recyclables from independent waste collectors and then reselling to larger materials processing facilities. Junk shop ownership is a key… Read More

Door-to-Door Entrepreneurs

Navotas City, a large coastal city in the Philippines, generates about 80 tons of trash each day.[1] Too much of this waste ends up in Manila Bay, which is central to the city’s fishing industry. Despite these challenges, there are opportunities for job creation and economic growth in building… Read More

“Every Morning, I Teach My Neighbors”

Like many urban areas in the Philippines, Navotas City ─a large coastal city within Metro Manila─ struggles to adequately manage its high volumes of solid waste. The city is known as the ‘fishing capital’ of the Philippines and one of the largest fishing ports in Asia, making plastic accumulation particularly… Read More

Ocean Plastics Media Scan: November 2019

Disclaimer: This media scan is intended to share current news and information related to ocean plastics. Items included are not endorsed by and do not represent the views of USAID or the U.S. Government. Los Angeles Times: The Tiny Plastic… Read More