Phase II of ‘Breaking the Plastic Habit in Asia’ to Expand Use of Behavioural Insights

The Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, will officially launch Phase II of the ‘Breaking the Plastic Habit in Asia’ project.

We invite you to join the launch event:

Date: October 18, 2024

Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Jakarta Time

Registration: https://crm.iges.or.jp/public/application/add/5479

The public event will convene leaders from government, academia, civil society, and international organizations to share best practices, key findings, and explore collaboration opportunities for sustainable reduction of plastic waste in ASEAN. The event will feature keynote addresses by environmental leaders and presentations from pilot teams representing six ASEAN countries. Discussions will focus on how Behavioural Insights can drive long-term changes in plastic consumption habits.

Phase I successfully tested innovative approaches to reduce plastic waste in ASEAN countries by `nudging` people not to use single-use plastics. Examples include no free plastic bags, no free plastic straws, separate garbage boxes with display of segregated items, and awareness raising campaigns In Phase II, the project will further explore how behavioural changes can complement existing policies, such as bans and taxes. A new measurement framework will also be introduced to evaluate the effectiveness of ‘the Behavioural Insights interventions. This phase will produce practical tools and case studies to guide policymakers, businesses, and civil society in implementing behaviour-centred solutions.

A capacity-building workshop on 16-17 October 2024 will prepare selected partner organizations to implement local projects from January to August 2025. The implementing partners for Phase II include:

· From Cambodia, Ministry of Environment

· From Indonesia, Center for Southeast Asian Studies

· From Lao PDR, Econox Laos – Plastic Free Laos Label

· From the Philippines, Institute of Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman

· From Thailand, Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University

· From Viet Nam, Nopa

About RKCMPD

The Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris was established under the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia in 2019. The Centre’s mission is to provide information and support to ASEAN+3 Member States, thereby helping them to improve the circularity of plastic and prevent leakage into marine environments.

This Press Release has also been published on VRITIMES