Ending Plastic Pollution in Small Islands and Remote Coastal Areas: In Pursuit of Circularity

The issue

Small Islands and remote coastal communities bear a disproportionate burden from plastic wastes due to the influx of plastics from ocean currents and local usage.  

Additionally, SICs are often isolated, with limited access to waste management infrastructure, services, and economic opportunities, exacerbating the problem of plastic pollution.

Because SICs rely heavily on ocean-based economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries, the growing levels of marine plastic waste – and their inability to manage them adequately — has had far-reaching consequences on their societies, threatening livelihoods, public health, and biodiversity.

Addressing unique pain points

SICs vary widely, ranging from autonomous islands like those in the Caribbean, to the outer islands of larger developing nations such as Indonesia. These communities are often characterised by low levels of industrialisation and limited infrastructure. Others, like Singapore, boast more developed economies and higher levels of industrialisation.

Beyond geographic and demographic challenges, SICs face a host of unique obstacles. These include limited land availability, human capital constraints, inadequate funding mechanisms, lack of access to supporting architecture, as well as infrastructure challenges.

Given the complexity of these challenges, it is vital to design targeted solutions and foster an enabling environment that supports their successful implementation. To that end, SICs worldwide have adopted innovative, bespoke approaches—many of which can be adapted and refined to meet the unique needs of other island communities.

Six key criteria of assessment

All case studies are assessed using six key criteria, including economic sustainability; replicability/ease of implementation; duration impact, range and type of plastics; social impact; and environmental impact. Through these comprehensive insights, readers will gain a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges SICs face in addressing plastic waste, as well as the actions required to drive lasting change and promote the growth of a circular economy.

This white paper shares examples from similar yet diverse communities, highlighting successes, lessons, challenges, and opportunities. It offers practical recommendations to help decision-makers design effective projects, programmes, and investments to tackle plastic pollution.

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Hierarchy of Actions: A case study

19 case studies are presented in this white paper. 11 of which are based on the Hierarchy of Actions framework presented by Plastic Waste Free Islands Project (PWFI). This framework covers six actions, including:

• Refuse – Cutting out unnecessary items and hazardous/toxic materials.

• Reduce – Minimising material usage.

• Reuse – Cleaning, reusing, refurbishing, and repairing existing products.

• Mechanical Recycling – Processing plastic waste into recyclates.

• Chemical Recycling – Conversion of plastic waste to monomer or other raw materials for plastic production.

• Recover Energy – Converting waste to usable energy.

• Responsible Disposal – Supporting responsible disposal to increase the life span of landfills.

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Examining the Enablers/Enabling Environment

The other eight case studies centre on the Enablers/Enabling Environments. These cover:

• Collection – Supporting plastic collection service costs through financing and incentivising mechanisms. These include economic policy instruments, like plastic credits, and market-based instruments, such as the sale of recyclables.

• Sustainable Finance – Sustainable financing methods for reducing plastic use and managing waste include investing in infrastructure, offering subsidies, grants, tax breaks, low-interest loans, green bonds, EPR programmes, and pre-paid bag systems.

• Regulatory Bans – Bans on specific single-use and avoidable plastics.

• Awareness Raising – Through raising awareness and education, individuals, communities, and businesses are empowered to adopt more sustainable practices and support policies to reduce plastic waste and pollution.