Stopping Ocean Plastic Pollution from Cities: A USAID Case Study from Parañaque City, Philippines

Ocean plastic pollution has reached crisis level: every minute, more than an entire garbage truck of plastic makes its way into the world’s oceans—roughly 11 million tons annually. While plastic waste presents an immediate threat to marine wildlife and ecosystems, this global challenge also has implications for major industries such as fishing and tourism, impacting the livelihoods of millions of people. The drivers and impacts of ocean plastic pollution also contribute to global challenges in food security, human health, and climate change.

Most ocean plastic debris comes from rapidly growing cities and towns along rivers and coastal areas where reliance on single-use plastics and flexible plastic packaging produces high volumes of waste that are not easily recycled, or even recovered. The problem is then compounded by waste management systems, infrastructure, and governments that struggle to keep pace with the ever-increasing amount of waste. Waste management is typically the responsibility of cities and other local governments, which are often under-resourced and have limited capacity to address the magnitude of the ocean plastic pollution issue.

Given these realities, the most effective way to curb the flow of plastics into the ocean is to stop it at the source: on land. Focusing on regions and countries that contribute most significantly to this global challenge, USAID builds the capacity of local governments to promote the 3Rs—reduce, reuse, and recycle—while better monitoring and managing their solid waste. USAID also improves collaboration among the local actors responsible for waste management and recycling. To improve the livelihoods of the millions of people that are involved in the waste management sector, USAID supports training for independent waste collectors, connects them to strengthened recycling markets, and engages community-based organizations, women’s organizations, schools, and small businesses who are instrumental in creating behavior change.

This case study examines the activities of USAID’s Clean Cities Blue Ocean program in Parañaque City, Philippines using the lens of USAID’s building blocks for preventing ocean plastic pollution.

While CCBO activities in Parañaque are still underway, there are already several important developments and accomplishments demonstrating how USAID uses its building blocks to inform a tailored, locally led approach to reducing ocean plastic pollution. Highlights include:

• CCBO Pre-Work and Baseline Assessments
• Local government collaboration and the Solid Waste Management Capacity Index for Local Governments (SCIL)
• Women in Waste Economic Empowerment Program (WWEE)
• A Women-Driven Circular Center
• Optimizing the Parañaque Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and identifying right-sized solutions

Read the full case study here.

Read the case study brief here.