The PLEASE project promotes plastic pollution mitigation by engaging both public and private sectors in South Asia. It helps governments develop policies, action plans, and industry standards that prevent plastics from entering rivers and seas. The project also supports institutions in tracking the production, use, and reduction of plastic. This data helps countries measure progress and design better solutions.
The project also brings together leaders from the government and the business sector. By working side by side, the stakeholders can agree on practical steps to reduce plastic pollution.
This component 2 focuses on:
Bhutan has launched the Clean Thimphu-Clean Paro Initiative, a collaboration between the Royal Government of Bhutan, Thimphu Thromde, and Paro Dzongkhag, in partnership with the Bhutan Ecological Society (BES), coordinating efforts. The initiative focuses on four key areas: improving waste collection and management through local government involvement, encouraging public participation in reducing waste, raising awareness on sustainable waste practices, and developing innovative waste solutions in partnership with international organizations. The technical assistance will introduce smart waste bins, CCTV monitoring, and behavioral change campaigns in Thimphu and Paro, contributing to the Zero Waste Bhutan 2030 goal.
The PLEASE Project is also supporting the Royal Government of Bhutan through another Technical Assistance (TA) to update Bhutan’s NDC 3.0, with waste sector emissions assessments extending up to 2050.
These initiatives signal Bhutan’s continued leadership in sustainable waste management, paving the way for a cleaner and more responsible future.
Photo Credits: Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS)
The PLEASE Project is providing technical assistance to the Maldives in developing a smart waste management system using advanced technologies. The technical assistance aims to optimize waste collection, transportation, and disposal processes. Through this TA, PLEASE Project is also providing provisional fund support for procuring the required IT infrastructure (server) to the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy of Maldives (MCCEE) to host the smart waste management system developed and ensure post-sustainability of the system developed.
Nepal is currently in progress with its first comprehensive plastic inventory data collection, with data collection starting in the Tokha Municipality. The project will expand to cover all seven provinces of Nepal, ensuring a comprehensive assessment.
This initiative is a crucial step toward developing data-driven policies and improving plastic waste management in Nepal.
Pakistan is receiving Technical Assistance for the development of a National Plastic Waste Management Plan and an IT-based monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for Pakistan, aiming to create an extensive national plastic database for recording, monitoring, and reporting plastic-related data. The Maldives is also receiving technical assistance for the design and development of an end-to-end smart waste management system.
(1st Image from the left) Ms Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Environment
(2nd & 3rd Image from the left) Participants from Government Organizations, Industries, and Academia who attended the workshop.
Photo credit: Project Procurement Institute (PPI)