International Cooperation on Solid Waste Management to Takcle Marine Plastic Issue

Abstract

Up to now, international cooperation in the field of solid waste management has focused on waste collection and proper disposal in urban area, because of the need for sanitary measures. For example, Yoshida (2020) found that 71 (82%) projects on "environmental management through urban waste management" out of 87 projects were implemented by JICA in the field of waste management and resource recycling. On the other hand, in recent years, the issue marine plastic debris, which has received a great deal of attention, has made international cooperation on waste to be expanded to waste management in rural area, design for recycling, environmentally sound recycling of plastics, and others. This paper shows the importance of waste management in the context of marine plastic debris issue, and the possible area of cooperation from Japan to developing countries in the field of waste management, in order to reduce leakage of plastic waste to the ocean.