The Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP) was a $14 million, five-year, USAID-funded program to address the global problem of ocean plastic pollution, with a focus on four Asian countries seeking to improve municipal waste management. Funded under the Making Cities Work IDIQ, MWRP provided grants of up to $250,000 and technical assistance to support promising municipal waste recycling initiatives in Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, evaluated the effectiveness of those initiatives, and made recommendations to USAID for future investments in the sector.
Under MWRP, more than 20,612 metric tons of plastic waste were diverted from the environment and kept out of the ocean. Also, 2,750 jobs were created in the SWM sector, a majority of which went to women. Following MWRP public awareness and training, 255,878 households and institutions changed behaviors and started segregating waste and 233,275 youths were engaged in reducing ocean plastic pollution. Additionally, MWRP enhanced urban and local governments’ ability to improve environmental management practices and pollution control systems. Of the 65 public policies, laws, agreements, and regulations related to municipal waste management that were introduced and/or positively affected by the program, here are a few key examples:
- Indonesia: The Governor of Jakarta Province signed Governor’s Regulation No.142 (2019) addressing the public’s obligation to use environmentally friendly shopping bags at shopping centers, malls, supermarkets, and traditional markets. The regulation was instituted in June 2020.
- Sri Lanka: A law banned polythene lunch sheets, rigifoam boxes, and thin plastic bags.
- Vietnam: Decision No.1832/QD-UBND provided guidelines to households, businesses, and schools to segregate waste in Ho Chi Minh City.
- The Philippines: Resolution No. 2018-11 banned the use of plastic straws and other small plastic materials during celebrations of the Martesan Festival. (2016-2021)
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- Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project (KIWASH)
- Liberia Collaborative Support for Health Systems Strengthening
- Liberia Municipal Water Project (LMWP)
- Market Assessment of Fecal Sludge Providers in Douala, Cameroon
- Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP)
- Strategic Support for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Investments in Ethiopia
- Sustainable Water and Sanitation in Africa (SUWASA)
- Urbis – Urban Capacity Learning Laboratory
- WASH Coordination Project (WCP)