NPAP-panama
Platform for action on plastics
About the project
At NPAP Panama, we bring together government, business and civil society to transform the plastic system in the country. We promote actions based on evidence, inclusion and circular economy to reduce plastic pollution.
Catalysts for systemic change
These interventions create the necessary enabling conditions to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. They involve structural changes that promote a regulatory, financial, collaborative and fair environment, key to an effective and sustainable transformation.
- Set targets for the reduction and elimination of avoidable plastics.
- Implement taxes or fees on single-use plastics that discourage their production and consumption.
- Establish redesign guidelines that require efficient use of materials and recyclability.
- Establish standardisation rules for reusable packaging to ensure food safety and create a new food safety standard for reusable packaging.
confidence in reuse systems. - Develop methodologies for assessing substitution of plastics by alternative materials, to ensure that they are
capture the benefits and avoid shifting problems to other value chains. - Create a market for recycled products through minimum recycled plastic content requirements, and
technical standards for recyclability in redesign. - Establish monitoring systems to evaluate the effectiveness of public policies and reductions in
plastic pollution.
- Implement a time-bound REP system, which extends the responsibility for collection, segregation and disposal of hazardous waste.
final disposal of packaging to its producers. - Mobilise central government funds for infrastructure investment at the municipal level, prioritising services.
collection in rural areas and selective collection in urban areas. - Invest in research and development of sustainable alternatives, especially paper, to scale up their adoption.
- Expand the budget to implement the National ISWM Plan, with a focus on improving the conditions
The operational costs of landfills that do not operate properly, and invest in new disposal sites. - Establishing economic incentives through tax benefits for companies that offer solutions
sustainable, such as reuse systems, recycling, among others. - Ensure sustainable financing of ISWM systems through standardised charging models.
- Promote private sector partnerships to increase the creation of shared infrastructure and models.
reuse. - Establish recycling partnerships to align recycling efforts for implementation.
of integrated solutions. - Create platforms for dialogue to foster technological innovation on plastic alternatives, trends
in eco-design, and new technologies for the management and recycling of plastic waste. - Definition of voluntary commitments from the private sector, with clear targets on the accountability of the private sector.
producers and one-off actions. - Enabling data generation and monitoring systems based on transparency in the value chain of the
plastic in Panama. - Strengthening institutional governance, fostering coordination between ministries and local authorities for the
effective policy implementation.
- Generate consumer incentives, economic or convenience, that encourage the adoption of alternatives.
sustainable. - Launching educational campaigns through popular and easily accessible media on the benefits of
alternative materials and reuse systems. - Involve local communities in decision-making and in the implementation of solutions, respecting
governance structures. - Conduct public consultations on new policies against plastic pollution.
- Strengthen community-based environmental education initiatives that seek to increase community participation.
in separation, reuse and recycling. - Strengthen definitions and standards related to terms such as "compostable", "bio-based" and "bio-based".
"biodegradable", backed up by a labelling system that clearly indicates their final disposal.
- Prioritise actions that improve the quality of life of the groups most affected by pollution by
plastics, recognising their increased vulnerability to these impacts. - Ensure that sustainable alternatives are readily available, affordable and equally easy to access.
use than current products. - Develop awareness-raising campaigns and public policies with an intersectional gender lens, avoiding
reinforcing inequalities or social norms. - Fostering collaboration between the private sector, academia, government agencies and society
for programme design. - Recognise the work of grassroots recyclers as legitimate actors in the plastics value chain.
- Conduct capacity building and technical training programmes for grassroots waste pickers that will enable them to
formal integration into the plastics value chain.
Our Roadmap in Action
Thanks to the joint work between the Ministry of Environment, GPAP, UNDP and local stakeholders, we now have a validated, data-backed roadmap designed to transform plastics management in Panama by 2040.
+600
Grassroots recyclers mapped and prioritised for inclusion
247 thousand
Tons of poorly managed plastic waste per year
35
Innovative solutions received (Plastic Circle programme)
Allies
Strategic
The implementation of the Roadmap for Action on Plastics in Panama is possible thanks to a joint commitment.
Committed to a Panama free of plastic pollution
Together, we are building a more circular, inclusive and sustainable model. Every action counts: from public policies to the role of citizens. Be part of the change.
