Report (Green Stage) “JICA Clean City Initiative (JCCI) International Seminar 2025”

The seminar was held simultaneously in the Blue Stage and the Green Stage.

*The presentation materials (PDF) and videos (Engish) are available from the links in each section of the program below.

In this program, “Next actions toward the Plastics Treaty”, which is made up of three sessions, we discussed and shared information on the specific actions that donors, governments, universities, and the private sector should take to address plastic pollution, in light of the recent situation at INC5 in Busan, where countries failed to reach agreement on a new binding international treaty on plastic pollution.

-Mr. Koji Maeshima, Deputy Director, Team 1, Environmental Management and Climate Change Group, Global Environment Department, JICA

JICA is developing cooperation in waste management, including plastics, in line with the strategy of the “Improving of Waste Management and Promotion of a Sound Material-Cycle Society” cluster under the “JICA Clean City Initiative”. Based on development stage of the target countries, the following three steps are being taken: improving a series of waste management services, including collection, transport and final disposal (1st stage); reducing environmental impact through waste reduction by plastic recycling, etc. (2nd stage); introducing recycling legislation at national level and promoting a material-cycle society by a wide range of actors, including producers (private sector) (3rd stage). Furthermore, research is being conducted on a sustainable monitoring and management framework for marine plastic litter discharged into the ocean due to inappropriate waste management on land.

-Mr. Felipe Dall, Programme Officer – plastic waste, United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)

Circular solutions to tackle plastic pollution:
UNEP has been advocating a life-cycle approach to tackle plastic pollution, which underpins the negotiation of a new legal instrument on plastic pollution. This approach is essential as we need to consider environmental pollution and other negative impacts at every stage of plastics lifecycle. UNEP has been promoting this rationale through several projects and initiatives, such as the Project on Sustainable Plastic Waste Management and the cross-cutting UNEP Plastics Initiative, which aims to create an enabling and empowering environment that accelerates market transformation.
UNEP is driven by a bold and transformative vision: to end global plastic pollution.

-Ms. Yoko Watanabe, Director, Environment, Asian Development Bank（ADB）

Marine Plastic Pollution is a widespread and persistent challenge to global ecosystems and biodiversity protection. Since 2019, ADB has been positively integrating national, regional, and global solutions to marine plastic pollution with wider sustainable economic, environmental, and social development opportunities.

The ongoing negotiations and upcoming adoption of the Global Plastics Treaty, complemented by established and innovative financial mechanisms to accelerate sectoral investment, are a milestone in the global and regional commitment to enhancing management of the plastic value chain.

The presentation covered opportunities for donor support to address plastic pollution, progress and lessons from ADB’s current technical assistance, research, and sovereign and private sector loans, and key opportunities for national and regional investment mobilization and policy development.

【Moderator】
Ms. Yoko Onuma, Advisor (Waste Management), Environmental Management and Climate Change Group, Global Environment Department, JICA

- Professor, Atsuhiko Isobe, Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University

The results of the SATREPS project “Formation of a Center of Excellence for Marine Plastic Pollution Studies in the Southeast Asian Seas,” which began in 2020, was introduced. The latest findings on microplastic pollution that has spread from an open dumping site to the sea via roadways and entered zooplankton and coral bodies will be presented. The presentation also reported on the status of floating plastic litter in the northern Gulf of Thailand, their potential sources, and fate.

-Mr. Makoto Tsukiji, JICA Expert

Based on a request from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand, JICA has been implementing the “Development of a Plan for the Establishment of the Marine Debris Center (MDC) through an Integrated Marine Debris Monitoring System” since February 2024, scheduled for one year. This project aims to address the issue of marine plastic pollution by developing a comprehensive strategic framework and plan that promote science-based policy support, innovative research, and international collaboration. Through desk reviews, site visits, and consultations with stakeholders, a draft strategic framework for the MDC has been formulated, identifying key activities such as capacity building, data integration, and stakeholder engagement. This seminar will showcase transformative pathways from existing marine debris monitoring efforts toward a comprehensive, lifecycle-based approach to integrated marine debris management.

-Mr. Saimone Vuki, President, Tonga Recyclers Association

- Mr. Nilesh Chathuranga Senarathna, Executive Officer, Eco Spindles Pvt Ltd,

- Ms. Miho Hayashi, Programme Manager, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)

Padang city, the capital of West Sumatra province with a population of approximately one million, faces a critical challenge due to increasing plastic waste and a nearly full landfill. The nearest recycling facility, located almost 800 kilometers away, makes recycling efforts costly and challenging. As an alternative, the city is developing a Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) facility in collaboration with a local cement company who will utilize the RDF produced.
In response to this situation, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) supported Padang city in creating an integrated solid waste management action plan in 2022. A pilot activity will be implemented to enhance the waste segregation and collection of plastic waste using a digital tool. This tool connects waste banks, waste generators, and RDF off-takers, enabling real-time data sharing, including financial data, to ensure transparent and efficient transactions. The initiative aims to benefit both consumers and business operators by improving collaboration across the value chain. The presentation will emphasize the pivotal role of the digital tool in fostering stakeholder collaboration.

【Moderator】
Ms. Yoko Onuma, Advisor (Waste Management), Environmental Management and Climate Change Group, Global Environment Department, JICA

12 private companies were presented.
Presentations from the private companies on environmental management technologies and products, including environmentally friendly fire extinguishing agents, measuring equipment, waste management, reuse/recycling and remote monitoring systems.

Tsubame BHB Co., Ltd

KOMAIHALTEC INC.

ExtraBold Inc.

TBM Co., Ltd.

Hemicellulose Ltd.

Eight-Japan Engineering Consultants Inc.

FOOD REBORN CO.,LTD

ALNUR Co., Ltd.

Clean Ocean Ensemble

amu Inc.

fabula Co., Ltd.