Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris - ERIA

23/09/2026

Plastic pollution knows no borders. Neither should our solutions.

Tomorrow, policymakers, development partners, scholars, private sector actors, and civil society representatives from across ASEAN and beyond will gather in Makati City, Philippines, to exchange knowledge, showcase progress, and strengthen regional cooperation to turn the tide on plastic pollution.

ACCPP ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution 2026
🗓 24–25 September 2026 (1.5 days)
📍 New World Makati Hotel, Metro Manila, Philippines (Hybrid)
📝 Learn about ACCPP: rkcmpd-eria.org/accpp
🎫 Register to participate online: luma.com/fnbsh957

One Region, One Vision: Let's advance knowledge and build regional capacity to end plastic pollution at ACCPP 2026.

23/09/2026

Vung Tau is stepping up efforts to curb plastic waste as residents, authorities and organizations joined a beach cleanup on September 19. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Vung Tau ward, the Ward People’s Committee and the Ho Chi Minh City Environmental Protection Fund organized the campaign under the theme “Joining Hands to Reduce Plastic Waste.” Activities included waste collection, recycling, environmental education and launching community bag-sharing stations at two traditional markets.

Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau Ward deploys cleaning up public places, propagating to reduce plastic waste to maintain a green, clean, and beautiful environment.

22/09/2026

Researchers in Okinawa, Japan, have discovered a new form of plastic pollution in which heat-altered plastic has fused with coral rubble, creating what they call “plasticoral.” The study documented five occurrences across three beaches, with analysis showing plastic had penetrated pores within coral skeletons. Researchers classify the material as a biologically derived plastiglomerate, highlighting how plastic waste can become physically integrated into coastal environments and potentially persist for years.

Researchers found plasticoral on Okinawa beaches, where heat-altered plastic had become fused with coral rubble in a strange new form of pollution.

21/09/2026

Honoring this year’s International Coastal Cleanup Day, 5,560 volunteers across Calabarzon joined efforts to clear the region’s shorelines, collecting 35,105 kilograms of waste. The cleanup, themed “Clean Seas for Resilient Communities,” filled 2,122 trash bags with food wrappers, plastic bottles, caps, cups, and plates. Held every third Saturday of September, the global initiative seeks to address marine pollution, protect coastal habitats, and promote stronger community action for cleaner and more resilient seas.

Volunteers collect trash along the shoreline in Quezon province during this year’s International Coastal Cleanup, part of an effort that gathered 35,105 kilograms of coastal waste across

18/09/2026

Prawn shells could offer Malaysia a way to tackle food waste while producing biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics. Researchers at Universiti Malaya extracted chitosan from discarded shells and combined it with starch to create bioplastic films. In soil-burial tests, the films began visibly changing after three weeks, with substantial degradation observed by the fourth week. The findings highlight a circular-economy approach that transforms seafood waste into potentially useful, biodegradable packaging materials.

The next time we peel prawns at the dinner table, the shells will probably go straight into the bin. We rarely give them another thought. Yet those discarded shells contain a natural material that researchers are exploring as a possible ingredient for biodegradable plastics.

17/09/2026

Discarded fishing nets are being turned into a promising weapon against toxic textile dye pollution, Indonesian researchers say. BRIN scientists, working with ITB and Andalas University, upcycled nylon nets into TiO₂-enhanced nanofibers using electrospinning technology. Tested against Methylene Blue dye under ultraviolet light, the material achieved 88.68 percent degradation within 60 minutes at neutral pH. The innovation offers a higher-value way to address marine plastic waste while treating industrial wastewater.

17/09/2026

📢 Next week, stakeholders from across the region and beyond will gather in the Philippines for the ASEAN Conference for Combatting Plastic Pollution (ACCPP) 2026!

Convened under the patronage of the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), co-hosted by ERIA's Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, and supported by AFD - Agence Française de Développement, GIZ ASEAN Cooperation Projects, the Global Plastic Action Partnership (World Economic Forum), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)—ACCPP 2026 heads to Makati City with 8 thematic sessions, 38 speakers, and more than 200 in-person participants.

🗓 24–25 September 2026 (1.5 days)
📍 New World Makati Hotel, Metro Manila, Philippines (Hybrid)
📝 Learn about ACCPP: rkcmpd-eria.org/accpp
🎫 Register to participate online: bit.ly/ACCPP2026-online

Join us virtually as we share progress, exchange knowledge, explore solutions, and align our next steps in tackling plastic pollution. Be part of this important exchange—and help shape a more circular and sustainable ASEAN!

17/09/2026

Cambodia will launch a nationwide cleanup campaign next week to tackle plastic pollution and mobilise public participation in environmental protection. Running from September 18-30, the initiative will involve cleanup activities across provinces as part of World Cleanup Day 2026. Led by the Environment Ministry and partners, the campaign supports the government’s environmental strategies and plastic-waste initiatives. Officials and River Ocean Cleanup urged continued cooperation among communities, government agencies and development partners to sustain progress in cleanliness and sanitation.

PHNOM PENH (ANN/THE PHNOM PENH POST) – Cambodia will launch a nationwide cleanup campaign next week as part of efforts to curb plastic pollution and encourage greater public participation in protecting the environment. The initiative, running from September 18 to 30, forms part of World Cleanup Da...

15/09/2026

Microplastics are showing up in the lungs of cancer patients at higher levels, raising fresh questions about their possible role in the disease. A study of 50 lung cancer patients in Greece found 20% more microplastics in lung-fluid samples than expected. Researchers say inhaled particles may trigger inflammation or other biological processes linked to cancer, although diseased lungs could also retain plastics differently. Smoking remains the leading cause of lung cancer.

Microplastics have been found in the deepest reaches of the ocean and throughout the human body

14/09/2026

Australia’s Albanese government has shelved long-promised packaging standards, prompting accusations it has broken a commitment to curb plastic waste. The federal environment department told industry representatives the reforms would not be introduced before the next election, citing concerns over cost-of-living pressures. Under a 2023 federal-state agreement, proposed rules would have restricted harmful chemicals, excessive packaging layers and unnecessary empty space, while balancing environmental goals against broader economic considerations.

Federal environment department tells industry representatives the government does not want to ‘exacerbate cost of living pressures’