SIG, alongside its project partners Plastic Bank, the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, and Decision Context, has launched “Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter.” This ambitious initiative focuses on minimizing packaging waste, particularly food and drink packaging, littering Southeast Asia. The project aims to prevent at least 10,000 tons of waste from entering oceans and is funded through ZUG (Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).
The 3-year project is designed to combat ocean-bound plastic by enhancing collection and recycling systems for all types of packaging, including food and drink sustainable packaging, in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Implementation Across Southeast Asia with Clear Targets
This project runs until November 2028, aiming to prevent at least 10,000 tons of packaging waste from reaching the ocean. It will directly engage around 100,000 individuals—students, teachers, households, and informal waste collectors—in improved waste segregation and recycling practices. The project collaborates closely with local recyclers, Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs), schools, and public authorities to ensure effective implementation.
Driving Behaviour Change Through Education
A foundational aspect of “Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter” is behaviour change. The initiative places a strong emphasis on schools as catalysts for community action. By empowering students as change agents, the project encourages waste segregation at the source and responsible disposal practices. This approach extends beyond educational institutions, fostering long-term recycling habits within households and local communities.
Digital Tools to Support Long-Term Engagement
This behaviour-driven approach is bolstered by Plastic Bank’s digital platform, which is being refined for use in schools. Gamification elements, such as rewards, challenges, and collective goals, incentivize the correct segregation and collection of packaging waste across all relevant material streams, including beverage cartons and flexible packaging. This solution promotes habit formation, collaboration, and sustained engagement rather than merely short-term behavioural shifts.
Scientific, Analytical, and Strategic Expertise
The Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy provides scientific expertise, focusing on sustainability research, environmental impact evaluations, and the development of policy insights related to food and drink packaging waste management.
Decision Context offers strategic analysis and data-driven support for behaviour change initiatives, modeling their impacts to facilitate evidence-based decision-making. This collaboration maximizes the project’s overall effectiveness.
The SIG Foundation enhances the social dimension of the project as a strategic, non-operational partner. It offers administrative support and aids in communication related to the project.
Strengthening Infrastructure and Inclusive Value Chains
Simultaneously, the project invests in local recycling infrastructure by upgrading and establishing facilities capable of processing used food and drink packaging, including beverage cartons and flexible plastics. By enhancing recycling capacity and incorporating informal waste collectors into formal value chains, “Recycle for Good” improves the economic viability of recycling while supporting inclusive livelihoods within local waste management systems.
Advancing Systemic Solutions and Policy Frameworks
This initiative also contributes to the development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems by showcasing practical, scalable recycling models. It shares valuable data and insights with Producer Responsibility Organizations and policymakers in the focus countries, fostering long-term, systemic solutions that outlast the project’s duration.
Funding and Joint Commitment
“Recycle for Good – Prevent Marine Litter” is funded through the “Marine Debris Framework – Regional hubs around the globe” (Marine:DeFRAG) initiative, managed by ZUG (Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft), on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). The project exemplifies a collective commitment to enhancing circular economy solutions, reducing marine litter, and building resilient recycling ecosystems in Southeast Asia.
For further information, visit www.sig.biz
