The MA-RE-DESIGN project aims to reduce plastic waste leakage into the sea by improving plastic waste management and reducing plastic use. The project combines activities on local, national, and regional level, while enhancing the capacities of stakeholders along the plastic value chain, including the private sector. On national level, the project focuses on strategies to avoid and replace single-use plastic packaging as well as on solutions to enhance packaging waste management through, for example, an EPR system. Local action is managed by WWF and concentrates on reducing plastic pollution in two municipalities near biodiversity hotspots, specifically Koh Tao and Trang Province, which will then serve as replicable examples for other regions. For coherent prevention actions on regional level, the project fosters knowledge exchange with other Asian countries through the UNEP COBSEA. Managed from Bangkok, the project collaborates closely with partners PCD, DMCR, and the COBSEA mechanism.
The launch of MA-RE-DESIGN project will take in conjunction with the 1st Sustainable Islands Tourism Symposium: BCG Action on Islands from Local to Global. This symposium, taking place on 7-10 June in Koh Tao, aims to promote eco-tourism and sustainable development practices on Koh Tao and nearby islands.
The symposium will raise awareness and encourage sustainable tourism implementation in the region. It aims to foster a comprehensive approach to sustainable island tourism, addressing waste management, knowledge management, and local-to-global actions.