Environmentally Sound Plastic Management Project

The Environmentally Sound Plastic Management project in Zambia aims to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of plastic waste, contributing to SDG targets 3.9, 5.1, 6.3, 11.6, 12.4 and 14.1. Implemented by ZEMA in collaboration with the BRS/UNEP Secretariat, the project will develop a national plastic waste inventory, strengthen the legal and institutional framework for environmentally sound management (ESM) of plastics, and build enforcement capacity to implement the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments. It will also assess and enhance the role of vulnerable groups, including women and informal sector workers in plastic waste management, and pilot practical interventions and financing/business models for collection, processing and disposal (including recycling). Project outputs include inventories and interoperability reports using the BRS/UNEP and Pew toolkits, an ESM strategy, enforcement strategies and training reports, pilot project evaluations, and outreach materials to scale up and replicate successful approaches.