Indonesia has taken an important step in tackling sea-based marine plastic litter (SBMPL) with a national workshop focused on developing a Port Waste Management Plan (PWMP).
More than thirty national representatives from maritime, port, environmental and other related authorities convened in Jakarta for the two-day workshop (4-6 May). They collaborated to produce a draft PWMP for Indonesia's busiest port - the Port of Tanjung Priok. The final version is to be adopted later by an ad hoc interministerial committee.
The plan outlines how ship‑generated waste should be managed safely, efficiently and in full compliance with Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), as well as relevant IMO guidance. The PWMP aims to strengthen port procedures, improve waste handling systems and reduce the discharge of plastics and other garbage into the marine environment.
The workshop was organized as part of the GloLitter Partnerships project under the OceanLitter Programme, jointly implemented by IMO and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from Norway.
Following the workshop, work commenced on a Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment to establish port reception facilities at Tanjung Priok.
Port reception facilities play a critical role in preventing marine plastic pollution by providing vessels with a reliable place to discharge waste instead of dumping it at sea. Strengthening these systems is essential to reducing marine plastic litter from shipping and fishing activities and protecting Indonesia's marine ecosystems.
Supporting Member States in identifying the most effective and sustainable solutions for receiving, storing, and processing ship-generated waste is a key component of the GloLitter project.
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