Sustainable Packaging Towards Marine Litter Reduction

Sustainable Packaging Towards Marine Litter Reduction

Project Title: Development of Voluntary Guidelines on Sustainable Packaging towards Reduction of Marine Litter and Promoting Packaging from Alternative Materials through Market-based Approach

Project Description:

With the hope to contribute to the reduction of marine litter, the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) is implementing a project, dubbed as “Sustainable Packaging Towards Marine Litter Reduction”, that would promote the use of sustainable packaging by developing and piloting the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) criteria for packaging; developing the private sector roadmap on sustainable packaging towards marine waste reduction; and conducting educational and policy campaigns to raise awareness of relevant stakeholders such as the retail sector, policy makers, and general consumers. This project is funded by the ‘Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter’ project of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). ‘Rethinking Plastics‘ is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Expertise France.

Generally, the project aims to achieve the creation of ecolabelling criteria for packaging with the support of the NELP-GCP. Specifically, the project seeks to:

  1. Develop ecolabelling criteria and certify products for sustainable packaging to encourage reuse, recyclability, and shifting to sustainable alternatives than single-use packaging;
  2. Establish a private sector roadmap to provide strategic plans, propose solutions and identify stakeholders that can be involved in the implementation of shifting towards more sustainable packaging; and
  3. Promote sustainable packaging through an environmental education campaign on sustainable consumption and production (SCP), focusing on the ecolabelling criteria for packaging, training and seminars to raise awareness, and a policy recommendation guideline.

The main outcome of this project is to reduce marine litter and promote packaging for reuse or from alternative materials using market-based instruments. 

Project Activities:

Project Studies:

Comparative Study Report of Existing International and Local Standards, Policies, and Best Practices related to Sustainable Packaging
Baseline Study on the Market Readiness for Sustainable Packaging in Bacolod City and Iloilo City
Roadmap to Sustainable Packaging: A Guide for the Private Sector in the Philippines (Retail & Trade)
Policy Recommendation Guidelines on Solid Waste Management and Promotion of Sustainable Packaging for Bacolod City and Iloilo City

IEC Campaign Materials:

Project Team:

Ms. Maureen Grace V. Lebria, Programmes and Projects Director

Ms. Erica Nicole D. Gomez, Project Officer

Ms. Annabelle S. Selibio, Project Coordinator

Ms. Kimberly T. Castillo, Project Assistant

Ms. Paulith Ann H. Aguilar, Research Assistant

The project “Sustainable Packaging Towards Marine Litter Reduction: Development of Voluntary Guidelines on Sustainable Packaging towards Reduction of Marine Litter and Promoting Packaging from Alternative Materials through Market-based Approach“, implemented by Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc., is funded by the ‘Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter’ project of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). ‘Rethinking Plastics‘ is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Expertise France.

More information: https://beatplasticpollution.eu/rethinking-plastics/