Every year, the Maldives generates nearly 22,000 tons of plastic waste, and, due to poor waste management practices, as much as a third of it ends up in our coastal areas. With support from the OIC and in cooperation with Zero Waste Maldives, adelphi GmbH helped the Government of the Maldives put in place a national Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework that will help the Maldives to close the loop on plastics wastes to reduce ocean pollution.

The online event took place on 16 August 2023 (09:00 Istanbul / 08:00 Central Europe / 11:00 Maldives  / 18:00 Fiji) to discuss the waste management challenges faced by small island developing states (SIDS) while shedding light on the effectiveness of EPR as an adequate policy solution.

Drawing from the experiences and lessons learned from the Maldives, adelphi and Zero Waste Maldives will share valuable insights and guidance to empower other SIDS in their efforts to combat plastic pollution and improve waste management practices. One of the project's key outcomes, the EPR manual for SIDS, which has been prepared specifically for SIDS countries as a guiding document, will be launched globally for the first time.

This manual will be presented during the event, providing practical information on implementing EPR frameworks in SIDS. Experts, practitioners, and stakeholders in the field of waste management will gather at this event in a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights, share experiences, and collectively work towards effective solutions for plastic pollution in SIDS.

Watch the event recording.