Municipal Waste Recycling Program USAID MWRP Fact Sheet

 KEEPING PLASTICS OUT OF THE OCEAN

Every year, eight million metric tons of plastic waste pour into the world’s ocean—the equivalent of a garbage truck dumping a load of plastic into the ocean every minute.1 Ineffective waste management systems and infrastructure in developing countries have led to much of this pollution. Rapid population growth and urbanization indicate municipal waste generation will keep rising dramatically.2 To reduce ocean plastics pollution, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with local and national governments, businesses, and civil society to implement sustainable solid waste management (SWM) and recycling solutions that keep plastics waste out of the ocean.

COASTAL CITIES REDUCE AND RECYCLE PLASTIC WASTE

USAID’s Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP) is aiming to reduce land-based sources of ocean plastics pollution in four Asian countries that are among the largest polluters: Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Through grants and technical assistance to eligible organizations, MWRP has introduced innovative, scalable solid waste management (SWM) approaches and increased municipal waste recycling investment in coastal cities, by supporting local businesses, women’s associations, municipalities, and others to reduce ocean plastics pollution.

MWRP’s grants strengthen local stakeholders’ capacity to effectively manage solid waste and expand recycling through mechanisms that promote social inclusion, empower women and youth, support independent waste collectors, and generate jobs and economic growth. USAID’s funding has supported applied research to identify locally appropriate technology and improve decision-making processes for urban SWM and recycling. MWRP bolsters the private sector to implement market-driven solutions to reduce ocean plastics pollution and to strengthen the recycling value chain.