Bali, Indonesia, 29–30 June 2026 – The Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP) convened the Dissemination Event: Packaging and Trade in Bali, Indonesia, bringing together representatives from ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat and regional partners to exchange knowledge, share national experiences, and strengthen regional cooperation to tackle marine plastics.

The Event forms part of SEA-MaP’s support to the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (2021–2025), particularly Action 2, “Develop Guiding Principles for Phasing Out Select Single-use Plastics (SUPs),” Action 3, “Develop a Regional Guidebook on Standards for Responsible Plastic Waste Trade, Sorted Plastic Waste, and Recycled Plastics,” and Action 4, “Elaboration of Best Practice Manual for Development of Minimum Standards and Technical Requirements for Plastic Packaging and Labelling.” It also contributes to the implementation of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, the ASEAN Blue Economy Implementation Plan for Sustainability and Prosperity (2026–2030), and the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The two-day event featured a High-Level Policy Forum and technical training sessions to disseminate three SEA-MaP regional knowledge products developed under Component 1: Strengthening Regional Policies and Institutions for Plastics Circularity:

• Best Practice Manual for the Development of Minimum Standards and Technical Requirements for Plastic Packaging and Labelling;
• Regional Guidebook on Standards for Responsible Plastic Waste Trade, Sorted Plastic Waste, and Recycled Plastics; and
• Regional Guidebook on Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics.

During the High-Level Policy Forum, national experiences from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Viet Nam showcased various initiatives such as eco-labelling, recycled content standards, bottle-to-bottle recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and other measures that advance plastic circularity across the region.

 Discussions highlighted common implementation priorities, including strengthening EPR, improving recyclability and eco-labelling frameworks, and enhancing technical capacity.

The Dissemination Event represents another important milestone in SEA-MaP’s continuing efforts to develop practical regional knowledge products and facilitate regional dialogues that support ASEAN in advancing packaging sustainability, responsible plastic waste management, and plastics circularity.

*****