An end to plastic waste in the ASEAN region?

World Bank publishes report on readiness for EPR

In December 2025, the World Bank published a report on Extended Producer Responsibility for Plastic Packaging in Selected ASEAN Member States.

The study measures readiness for implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging among seven Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries:

Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.

As ASEAN is a top generator of mismanaged plastic waste, with an estimated six of the top 10 global emitters of plastic waste into the ocean being ASEAN Member States (AMS), effective adoption of EPR could be one of the solutions to better waste management in the region.

Already in 2019, the AMS signed the Framework of Action on Marine Debris, which recommended the formulation and implementation of EPR policies and schemes.

Also, in 2021, the ASEAN Regional Action Plan (RAP) for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (2021–2025) was adopted, proposing the establishment of a regional platform to provide technical support and share knowledge on EPR with AMS.

Introduction of mandatory EPR by the Philippines (2023) and Viet Nam (2024) was a practical step in this direction.

How ready are selected AMS?

In the light of the above, the recently published World Bank report checks how ready the selected AMS are for the implementation of EPR.

It takes stock of both successful experiences, lessons learned and challenges, reviewing regulatory frameworks in the selected seven AMS.

Using a specially designed EPR Implementation Readiness Tool (EPR IRAT), it identifies gaps in legal landscapes, technical infrastructure and institutional/stakeholder environments.

The study also puts forward policy and operational recommendations to boost EPR readiness and guide more effective EPR implementation in the region.

The report and the EPR IRAT were developed by Landbell Group together with BlackForest Solutions (BFS), and funded by PROBLUE, an umbrella multi-donor trust fund housed at the World Bank, which supports the sustainable and integrated development of marine and coastal resources in healthy oceans.

The EPR IRAT will become part of the EPR Handbook and Customised Toolkit for the ASEAN region that Landbell and BFS are currently developing within the SEA-MaP Regional Project.