The Philippines, one of the primary countries contributing to ocean plastic, has launched the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP), a multi-stakeholder platform designed to foster collaboration across sectors and accelerate the country’s transition to a circular economy.
The Philippines generates approximately 2.7 million metric tons of plastic annually, with a significant portion ending up in the ocean. This places the country among the top contributors to marine plastic pollution globally.
The NPAP provides a unifying platform to transition from a “take-make-waste” linear economic model to a circular economy, where resources are used efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are reused. By prioritizing sustainable consumption and production, circular economy not only reduces emissions and pollution but also fosters innovation, green job creation, resilience, and equity.
“This crisis extends far beyond environmental. It threatens our biodiversity, undermines livelihoods and jeopardizes public health, imposing significant economic costs,” said Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga during the launch. “The NPAP represents a pivotal step forward. It is a dynamic and inclusive mechanism designed to unify and amplify our collective efforts. This platform will truly catalyze a transition to a circular economy, one that views plastic waste not as an insurmountable burden but as an opportunity.”
NPAP will prioritize the creation of a comprehensive plastic baseline analysis and a National Plastic Action Roadmap to guide evidence-based strategies aligned with national priorities. This roadmap will integrate a gender and social inclusion strategy, ensuring that marginalized groups, including informal waste pickers, are included in the transition to a circular economy.
Spearheaded by Secretary Loyzaga, the coalition includes Canada’s Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. David Hartman, UK Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Laure Beaufils, World Economic Forum Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) Director Clemence Schmid, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran.
NPAP Philippines is part of the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), an initiative of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and supported by the Governments of the United Kingdom and Canada and the Coca-Cola Foundation. The platform aligns its efforts with key national policies, including the Philippine Development Plan, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act, and the Philippine Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production, as well as the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to climate action.
