The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to launch the Philippine National Plastic Action Roadmap 2026-2040 in response to the country’s plastic waste challenge.

During the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy press conference held at the New World Hotel in Makati on Tuesday, the DENR announced the launch of the country’s 14-year plastic action roadmap in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines and partners of the Philippine National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP).

“In the roadmap, we indicated there the different initiatives that are [going to] be implemented. There is also analysis on what are the gaps,” DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones said.

“This roadmap serves as a blueprint on how the Philippines can address the garbage problem,” he added.

Leones stressed that the roadmap will serve as a “basis” for different donors, including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), in financing activities needed to address the country’s plastic waste problem.

The launching of the National Plastic Action Roadmap on Friday will bring together government, business, civil society, academia, development partners, and other stakeholders to advance coordinated action on plastic pollution and accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

“Hopefully, you can see the gaps that we need to address and then, there will be some proposed amount for all figures [and] you can have an idea how much it really costs to get rid of this plastic waste,” Leones said.

The agency reiterated its position that waste reduction can serve as an economic opportunity while advancing regional policies on circular economies and green investments during the ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy.