Statistics from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggest that plastic waste accounts for 85% of marine litter. Without intervention, the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean will reach 23-27 million tons per year by 2040, equalling 50 kilos on every meter of coastal line.

To tackle this global challenge, the European Union (EU) supported “Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter” project to carry out pilots in 7 countries in East and Southeast Asia, to foster transition towards a circular economy and reducing marine litter.

In China, the “Rethinking Plastics – Circular Economy Solutions to Marine Litter” project implements different pilots, including agricultural mulch film management, packaging waste reduction, ship waste management and fishing-for-litter initiative, among other, with the objective of improving plastic waste management across the whole value chain, promote sustainable consumption and production of plastics, and reduce marine litter from sea-based sources.