Flagship project
Reducing Plastic Leakage from Manado
Manado's pilot project addresses marine plastic leakage by improving local waste systems, regulation, monitoring and circular-economy business opportunities.
Communities can benefit from cleaner streets, waterways and coastal areas as leakage is reduced. Stronger collection and monitoring allow local authorities to manage services more effectively, while circular businesses may find new sources of material and income. Better regulation creates clearer expectations for all actors. The pilot establishes a practical local model for keeping plastic in productive use and out of Manado’s marine environment.
The challenge
Growing plastic waste and limited collection and disposal systems are increasing land-based leakage into the marine environment around Manado. The response must address the full local value chain, from household and business behaviour to collection, recovery, disposal and the institutions responsible for coordinating change.
Our goal
The Manado pilot reduces the flow of land-based plastic waste into the surrounding marine environment. It seeks to strengthen the local institutions and financing arrangements behind waste services while testing circular approaches that can keep material in use and create viable opportunities for businesses and communities.
Our approach
Integrated solid-waste planning establishes how collection, disposal and recovery should work together. Institutional and financial assessment identifies the capacity and resources required, while local regulation and monitoring systems support implementation. Stakeholder engagement brings municipal, community and business perspectives into the pilot, and innovation support explores circular-economy models suited to the local market.
Key highlights
- The project combines a citywide planning perspective with practical market development.
- Expected results include improved waste plans, clearer institutional and financial requirements, local regulatory measures and systems for tracking performance.
- Business-model and innovation work looks beyond disposal to identify where plastic can be prevented, recovered or put back into productive use.
Success story
Plastic discarded on land can travel through drains and waterways until it reaches Manado's marine environment, where the damage becomes harder and more expensive to reverse. The pilot works earlier in that chain. It strengthens local waste planning, clarifies institutional and financial needs and introduces monitoring that can show where leakage persists. Regulation supports consistent action, while entrepreneurs and community partners explore ways to recover value from plastic instead of treating it solely as waste. The change sought is visible and practical: cleaner coastal environments, stronger collection services and local business ideas that make circularity economically meaningful. Lessons from the pilot can help other places understand which approaches are capable of lasting beyond a short project period.