Plastic pollution is one of the fastest growing environmental problems globally, and countries in Southeast Asia are particularly impacted. The Grieg Foundation collaborates with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to address this issue in three Philippine ports. A new report from Deloitte provides recommendations of strategic solutions. 

This week, WWF participated in SEA of Solutions, a UN event that has the objective to engage and unite stakeholders in accelerating the development of solutions to reduce plastic waste, to present their project on the management of plastic waste in ports.

The objective of the project between Grieg and WWF is to reduce plastic waste leakage by 50% in three Philippine ports and to develop solutions that could be replicated in other ports around the world.

– If we want to achieve the sustainable development goal to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution by 2025, we must find the right solutions fast. Together with the Grieg Group and WWF, we put plastic pollution on the agenda and contribute to action. The report provides concrete measures for the Philippines, and valuable knowledge about solutions that can be implemented in other ports, says Anders Magnus Løken, Director Risk Advisory at Deloitte.

Every year, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea. This challenge is particularly evident in Southeast Asia, where urban areas contribute to a large share of the marine litter that threatens our oceans. The Grieg Foundation and WWF have joined forces for the project ‘Clean Ports, Clean Oceans: Improving Port Waste Management in the Philippines’ implemented in collaboration with the Grieg Group.

– Cooperation with the business sector drives innovation, contributes to sustainable development and deliver positive results for nature. A report that points to strategic measures is valuable in our prioritization work, says Karoline Andaur, Secretary General of WWF-Norway.

The three-year project aims to reduce plastic pollution in the ports of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro and Manila North Harbor. The project aims to work with various stakeholders, such as national authorities, the private sector and local communities.

WWF is currently conducting a national baseline study and local baseline studies for the three ports, in collaboration with the Philippine Ports Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, concerned Local Government Units, and other port stakeholders. The surveys will provide more information on the generation and management of plastic waste in Philippine ports.

Relevant stakeholders in the three ports will then decide which strategic measures will be implemented to reduce plastic waste in nature.

To define strategic measures, Deloitte has, on behalf of WWF, written the report ‘Targeting the challenge of plastic pollution in ports and maritime companies in the Philippines - Screening of examples of solutions to tackle plastic waste in ports and maritime companies’. The report has the following recommendations:

• In the short term, the report recommends solutions related to education and awareness programs, as well as the collection of plastic waste by local communities and automatic devices. 
• In the medium term, the solutions that are proposed focus on improving the collection and separation of plastic waste, as well as the monitoring of these.
• And in the long term, some of the solutions are a ban on single-use plastic items and the development of partnerships between public and private institutions to ensure that waste is handled and recycled properly.

– The sea has given the Grieg Group opportunities to contribute to growth and jobs, but also a great responsibility. We live by and with the sea, and we consume common resources. That is why we are committed to operating sustainably. We are proud that the Grieg Foundation has entered into this collaboration with WWF, and that the Grieg Group can contribute with expertise, experience and knowledge. This project is important both for marine life, the local population and the sustainable management of our marine resources, says Gry Larsen, Leader for Sustainability and Public Relations in the Grieg Group.