Marine Litter and Microplastics National Management Strategy (Estrategia Nacional para la Gestión de Residuos Marinos y Microplásticos)

Published on February 9, 2022

The objective of the strategy is to contribute to international cooperation and promote the exchange of information at a regional and global level, as well as development of technical assistance for the prevention and reduction of the release of waste to aquatic ecosystems and mitigate its impact. The policy aims to promote the elaboration of voluntary and binding environmental management instruments for the recovery, reduction, and prevention of marine litter from its source and mitigate its impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

Other objectives include the promote of environment education, national coordination, research and innovation for the consolidation, development and refinement of methodologies and solutions for the prevention, reduction, recovery, reuse, valorization and monitoring of marine litter, to promote the transition to a circular economy.

The policy aims to focus on the identification of sources and behavior that incite marine litter generation from land and marine sources, their environment, economic and wellbeing impacts.

The goal of the policy and its relation to sustainable consumption and production is to prevent the release of marine litter in aquatic ecosystems by 40% by 2030, as well as to implement actions that allow the recovery of marine litter.

The concrete lines of action to reach this goal are the following:

- Promote the participation in international organizations, agreements and fora that encourage actions for the reduction, recovery, prevention and generation of marine waste and microplastics.
- Develop public policies to reduce, recovery and prevent marine litter and microplastics.
- Promote research and innovation on marine litter and microplastics at a national level to reduce its impacts.
- Promote the participation of civil society, academia, scientific organizations and the private sector in actions to achieve these goals.
- To increase environment education and national capacities to reduce marine litter generation.