Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments

Enriched UN / Multilateral · Found: 2026-03-11 12:55

Legally binding amendments for 186 states controlling transboundary movement of plastic waste. Includes technical assistance projects for plastic waste management in developing countries.

Source: https://www.basel.int/implementation/plasticwaste/amendments/overview/tabid/8426/default.aspx

Funding Details

Funder

Basel Convention / UNEP (administered via Basel/Stockholm Convention Regional Centres, funded by Norway/Sweden/EU)

Funding Goal

Improve the management of plastic waste globally through regulatory implementation, capacity building, and small grants to regional centres, contributing to the prevention and reduction of marine plastic pollution

Funding Amount

Small Grant Programme (SGP) on plastic waste: USD 65,000 to USD 180,000 per project, funded via Norad and other donors (65.000 € – 180.000 €)

Deadline

Periodic - linked to SGP annual rounds administered by the Basel Convention Secretariat (periodic)

How to Apply

Not accessible to NGOs directly. Organisations interested in participation should contact the nearest Basel Convention Regional Centre or Stockholm Convention Regional Centre in their operating country/region. Regional Centres in Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America can submit proposals on behalf of country-level initiatives.

Target Region

Global developing countries: Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe (40+ countries benefiting from 23 funded projects)

Contact

Basel Convention Secretariat: brs@brsmeas.org; Plastic Waste Partnership: basel.int/implementation/plasticwaste; SGP contact: basel.int/Default.aspx?tabid=5304

Last Checked

2026-03-15 13:30

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• CRITICAL: SGP applications only from Basel/Stockholm Convention Regional Centres - NGOs cannot apply directly
• NGOs can be implementation partners under a Regional Centre-led project
• Join Basel Convention Plastic Waste Partnership for networking and future pilot call access

Project Scope

• Projects must address plastic waste management and marine pollution prevention in developing countries

Required Documents

• Contact nearest Regional Centre in Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, or Vietnam to explore partnership

Constraints

• Monitor PWP portal for future pilot project calls (basel.int/implementation/plasticwaste)

Summary

The Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments, which entered into force on 1 January 2021, represent the primary international legal framework for controlling transboundary movements of plastic waste. The amendments introduced new entries in the Basel Convention annexes clarifying the classification of plastic waste as hazardous (Annex VIII, entry A3210), non-hazardous destined for recycling (Annex IX, entry B3011), and general plastic waste subject to Prior Informed Consent procedures (Annex II, entry Y48). Alongside the regulatory framework, the Basel Convention Secretariat, together with the Stockholm Convention Secretariat, administers a Small Grant Programme (SGP) on plastic waste. The SGP is funded primarily by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), with contributions from Sweden and the EU. The SGP identifies and funds low-cost, high-impact projects from regional centre work plans to improve plastic waste management in partner countries and contribute to preventing marine plastic pollution. A total of 23 projects have been selected in recent SGP rounds, benefiting 40 countries across Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern Europe. Project budgets range from approximately USD 65,000 to USD 180,000. The SGP is accessible only to Basel Convention Regional and Coordinating Centres and Stockholm Convention Regional and Sub-regional Centres - not directly to NGOs or other civil society organisations. The Plastic Waste Partnership (PWP), which operates under the Basel Convention, has separately issued pilot project calls for PWP members; those calls were also channelled through Basel Convention institutions rather than direct NGO applications. For organisations seeking to engage with this framework, the primary pathways are: registering as a member of the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Partnership (open to industry, NGOs, governments, and intergovernmental organisations); or developing a relationship with the relevant Regional Centre in their operating country to be considered as an implementation partner for future SGP rounds.

Historical Context

The Basel Convention plastic waste amendments were adopted at COP14 in 2019 and entered into force 1 January 2021. The Plastic Waste Partnership was established in 2019. The SGP on plastic waste has been funded annually by Norway since 2009, with other donors joining. The SGP has funded 23 projects in recent rounds covering 40 countries. The Plastic Waste Partnership issued pilot project calls in 2021-2022. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) further strengthened international pressure on plastic pollution, making future SGP rounds and PWP calls likely.

Why it was added

International regulatory framework for plastic waste management with technical assistance component

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