Plastic Smart Cities is a WWF initiative that supports a no plastic in nature agenda with a goal to reduce plastic leakage into nature by 30% in the near term, and achieving no plastics in nature by 2030. The initiative employs a comprehensive strategy that engages all actors – government, businesses, and the public – to examine every aspect of the life cycle of any given plastic material and identify key elements ripe for intervention. Our main goals are to decrease plastic leakage by reducing plastic volume, increasing waste collection, and improving city recovery rates in the target cities.
In the four cities, we identified “leakage hotspots” during our baseline analysis and found that they significantly contribute to plastic pollution. A 2021 baseline study found that the four cities produced 2,194 tons of unmanaged plastic waste per year, with only 4.02% of the plastic waste collected and managed while most were disposed to landfill. They were also chosen for their proximity to major marine protected areas and coastal ecosystems with high biodiversity, including endangered species like Marine Turtles, Irrawaddy Dolphin, Bryde’s Whales, Pink Dolphins, and Dugongs.
