Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 24 November 2025: The SEA-MaP Regional Project held a Government Consultation for Development of the Regional Guidebook on Phasing Out Single-use Plastics (SUP)  via hybrid mode. The Guidebook aims to provide policymakers in ASEAN with guiding principles for the effective implementation of SUP reduction policies.

​​Mr. Grick Cordero, Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist, Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines (DENR), on behalf of Ms. Mariglo Rosaida I. Laririt, Assistant Director, BMB, DENR, Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment (AWGCME) and Co-Chair of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) of SEA-MaP opened the Consultation through the delivery of remarks. The message highlighted the value of developing a Guidebook that can be utilised by policymakers in ASEAN to design an effective evidence-based and context-sensitive SUP policies that is inclusive and recognizes potential impact on key stakeholders such as businesses, vulnerable groups, informal workers, and other relevant actors, thereby supporting the diverse capacities of AMS while advancing shared regional vision. As such, the Consultation is a timely opportunity to further review and refine the Guidebook, to ensure that it reflects AMS’ needs, support practical implementation, and enforces collective commitment at the regional level, in line with the ASEAN RAP.

The sessions featured interactive discussions whereby participants exchanged views and shared their technical inputs on the methodology proposed in the Guidebook to selecting suitable policy instruments based on the national context and priorities of the respective AMS, as well as on the dissemination and communication products to ensure that the outputs developed are aligned with the needs of ASEAN. The Consultation also featured a site visit to the 1Recycling Centre (1RC) that is located at a local mall, 1 Utama, whereby participants had the opportunity to observe the Centre’s facilities in action and also learned about efforts made by mall tenants, particularly those in the food and beverages industry, to transition away from use of SUPs/single-use items, such as by eliminating the provision of plastic bags.

The Workshop was organized by the SEA-MaP Regional project, facilitated by consulting firms cyclos GmBH and Lasaju, in close coordination with the Regional Implementation Support Unit (RISU) and the Project Management Unit (PMU) of SEA-MaP. The event was participated by representatives of the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat, and the PMU and RISU.

The Workshop was held as a follow-up to the First Technical Consultation that was held on 21 May 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

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