Towards Osaka Blue Ocean Vision - G20 Implementation Framework for Actions on Marine Plastic Litter

Brazil

Actions and Progress on Marine Plastic Litter
Last Update : 2024/10/02

Policy Framework

National Action Plan

Name(Year):● National Plan to Combat Marine Litter (2019)

Brief description:
It is under revision to focus on plastic waste and resize objectives, goals and governance system.

In preparation
Name:● Plastic-free Ocean National Strategy
Brief description:
This national strategy is being drawn up, considering the legal framework for solid waste management, combating environmental pollution, as well as some inputs already described in other planning instruments, such as the 2019 National Plan to Combat Marine Litter (under review) and the Action Plan for preventing and reducing marine plastic litter from sea-based sources, designed with IMO support in 2022-2023. It is considering the full life cycle of plastic, adopting a “turn off the tap” approach, to curb marine plastic pollution.

Besides this, the national strategy elaboration process is promoting social participation and public awareness about plastic pollution impacts and its adverse effects on nature and human health. Workshops and webinars are being held to improve comprehensive social listening and enhance public awareness about this urgent issue. In addition, the interface between the other global crises such as biodiversity loss and climate change has been addressed.

Legal Framework

Brief description:

  1. The main legal national instruments are:
    • Environment National Policy Law – Federal Law No. 6,938/1981.
    • National Solid Waste Management Policy – Federal Law No. 12,305/2010. According to this law, it is forbidden to discharge any kind of debris into beaches, sea or any other water bodies.
    • Federal Law No. 14,026/2020, updates the legal framework for basic sanitation. This law establishes as one of its principles that the provision of water supply, sewage disposal, urban cleaning and solid waste management services must consider public health, conservation of natural resources and protection of the environment.
    • Environmental Crimes Law – Federal Law No. 9,605/2008 - This law considers it an environmental crime to either dispose of any kind of oil substances at odds with such law or to dispose of any kind of debris at beaches, at sea or in any other water resources.
    • Decree No. 10,936/2022, regulates the National Solid Waste Management Policy – (Law No. 12,305/2010).
    • Decree No. 11,043/2022, approves the National Plan to Solid Waste Management.
    • Decree No. 11,413/2023, Establishes the Reverse Logistics Recycling Credit Certificate, the General Packaging Structuring and Recycling Certificate and the Future Mass Credit Certificate, under the scope of the reverse logistics systems referred to in art. 33 of Law No. 12,305, of August 2, 2010.
    • Decree No. 11,414/2023, Establishes the Wastepickers Program for Popular Recycling and the Interministerial Committee for the Socioeconomic Inclusion of Wastepickers of Reusable and Recyclable Materials.
    • National Environmental Council (Conama) Resolution No. 454/2012, establishes general guidelines and referential procedures for the management of the material to be dredged in waters under national jurisdiction and its final disposition.
    • Normative Instruction MPA-MMA No. 12/2012, requires the identification of marine gillnet and trammel net fisheries.
    • Decree No. 12,082/2024, Establishes the National Strategy for Circular Economy.
    • Decree No. 12,106, Regulates the incentive for the recycling industry provided for in Law No. 14,260, of December 8, 2021.
  2. Brazil is also Party to the following international conventions:
    • London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter (LC-72) – Decree No. 87,566/1982;
    • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) - Decree No. 99,165/1990;
    • Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal – Decree No. 875/1993.
    • MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) - Decree No. 2,508/1998;

In preparation
Name:● Decree establishing reverse logistics for plastic packaging discarded by consumers
Brief description:
The Decree assigns responsibility to each participant in the supply chain (including manufacturers, traders, importers, and distributors) and establishes collection targets, recycled content objectives, and forecasts for the socio-economic inclusion of recyclable materials collectors

Indicators and/or Targets

No

Technical Standards, Guidelines and Methodologies

Topics: -

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Measures

Measures across Value Chain
Product Specific Measures: ALDFG
Partnership and Innovation
Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL
International Collaboration
Measures across Value Chain
Actions for encouraging sustainable / circular product design (example: improved durability, reparability, recyclability, reduction of material use per product…etc.) Yes

Specific Measures:
Decree 12.082/2024, establishes the Circular Economy Strategy

Policy actions for encouraging plastic alternatives, recycled materials at production stage. -
Steps taken towards restricting microplastics in products. No
Reduce single-use plastic (shopping bags, straws etc.) by regulations or voluntary measures (such as ban, levy, others) In Preparation

■ Regulatory Measures (ex: production ban, Ban on use..etc):
Brief description:
A draft law that seeks to reduce the generation of single-use plastic waste and promote its circular economy through reuse and recycling, is being discussed in the National Congress. It also addresses payment for environmental services for waste pickers (PL 2.524/2022).

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Introduce Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Yes

Specific Measures:

Targeted Products The current reverse logistics system is mandatory for packaging in general, including plastics, paper and cardboard, glass, and metal packaging. Still, the Government is about to approve a Decree specific to reverse logistics for plastic packaging.
Nature of Responsibility ■ Financial responsibility
■ Operational responsibility
■ Collective producer responsibility
■ Individual producer responsibility
Modality Mandatory EPR
■ Product take back
■ Drop off points
 		Voluntary EPR
-
Eco-modulation
(if applicable)

-

Performance indicators

■ collection rate* Current: 25 % Targets 50% in 2040 (target established in the Decree to be approved)
■ Others:
Post-consumer recycled content starting in 24% in 2026 and 33% in 2034.

Brief Description

Currently, reverse logistics is mandatory for packaging in general, which includes plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, and metal packaging. So, to date, data by material type is not yet detailed and is presented as general data. As decrees are approved for each material type, even though the modality and nature of responsibility remains the same to every chain of material, the performance indicators changes from chain to chain, and the data will be refined.

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Improve waste management and recycling system Yes
Promoting plastic waste re-use, recycling and recovery opportunities Yes

Specific Measures:
the government is in the final stages of approving a decree that establishes reverse logistics for plastic packaging.

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Install capturing trap/filter on drainage/river No
Conduct clean-up activities in rivers/ wetlands/ beaches/ coasts/ coral reefs/ sea floor, involving local communities involving local communities Yes
Product Specific Measures: ALDFG
Taken/to be taken National Level Action and/or Community Level Action on Clean sea initiatives including ghost net retrieval, ocean-bound plastics etc. No
Taken actions for preventing abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) being generated. No
Created/creating collection/recycling mechanism for ALDFG No
Partnership and Innovation
Boost multi-stakeholder involvement and awareness-raising Yes

Specific Measures:
1- Webinar Series: understanding Plastic Pollution
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, in partnership with the TerraMar Project (MMA/GIZ/ IKI) and the UNESCO Chair for Ocean Sustainability has promoted a broad public debate on causes and effects of plastic pollution throughout a series of national webinars. They are focused on expanding and deepening knowledge about relevant topics on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. The national webinars are being held featuring professors and researchers to present topics related to the full life cycle of plastic, based on the best available science. They are available at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdQ9l-mOoXw&list=PLrN2xMe9PBGCBnzY38ALjWYWkrE5LZpPO

2- Online course: Conscious behavior in the coastal and marine zone: combating marine litter.
Designed for public managers and users of coastal and marine ecosystems, the Ministry of the Environment launched on its distance education platform, in 2021, the “Conscious behavior in the coastal and marine zone” course, with a focus on combating marine litter. Through it, MMA shares knowledge and basic information about the importance of ecosystems conservation in the Brazilian coastal and marine zone, encouraging responsible practices to improve environmental quality and care for natural resources. In the course, relevant initiatives and experiences are shared to serve as an inspiration for carrying out actions in the field.
 
General purpose of the course:
 
To present and raise awareness of the importance of coastal and marine ecosystems conservation, focusing on the implementation of responsible conducts for natural resources conservation and improving the urban environmental quality.
 
PROGRAM CONTENT:
MODULE 1 – It’s not only about beaches! The coastal zone and its ecosystems.
MODULE 2 - Challenges for conservation and maintenance of environmental quality in coastal and marine zone.
MODULE 3 – Best practices, community mobilization and responsible behavior.

3- Awareness-raising and informative materials.
Brief description:
The Ministry of the Environment has released awareness-raising videos related to marine litter (including plastic). It is expected to encourage individual and collective actions to preventing and combat coastal and marine litter.
 
They are available on:
Combating Marine Litter Video: https://youtu.be/bjp40vRSMpw
Conscious Behavior in Coral Reef Areas Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=1sSRydVBg7w&t=2s
In addition, the Ministry of the Environment has released a Practical guide for Beach, River and Mangrove Cleanups. It is an informative material, composed by a booklet and a video, designed to help volunteer groups organize cleanups and report their results to the MMA national database (Cleanups Results Dashboard).

The Practical guide for Beach, River and Mangrove Cleanups booklet is available at:
https://www.gov.br/mma/pt-br/assuntos/agendaambientalurbana/combate-ao-lixo-no-mar/roteiro-pratico-mutiroes-de-limpeza-de-praias.pdf
 
The Practical guide for Beach, River and Mangrove Cleanups video is available at:
https://youtu.be/7BsY0AMLTzU

Encourage/ Incentivize action by private sector companies to reduce/ sustainably manage their plastic waste. No
Encourage public awareness on MPL issues through formal education system and/or curriculum for No
Promote innovative solutions through Research & Development (e.g., subsidy program, investment fund etc.) No
Monitoring, Data Management, Understanding Flow of Plastics/MPL
Conduct Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of plastic products. What are the challenges if LCA is not conducted? No
Conduct Material Flow Analysis (MFA) on plastics. What are the challenges if MFA is not conducted? Yes

Scope: ■ Local
Brief Description:
The Ministry of the Environment implemented a rapid assessment methodology for mapping the flows of macro plastic waste in seven coastal municipalities (Porto Seguro/BA, Maragogi/AL, São José da Coroa Grande/PE, Barreiros/PE, Rio Formoso/PE, Sirinhaém/PE and Tamandaré/PE) aiming to promote the improvement and efficiency of municipal solid waste management systems considering the stages of collection, sorting, transportation and disposal of waste.

Called Waste Flow Diagram (WFD) and developed through a collaboration between GIZ, the University of Leeds, Eawag and Wasteaware, this methodology enables to quantify the sources of plastic leakage into the environment from the municipal solid waste management system and determine the eventual fate of this uncontrolled waste, like the amount of plastic which is transferred through storm drain systems and ends up being carried to the ocean.

The results of the study will make it possible to identify the high-priority sources of plastic pollution and to quantify the effectiveness of applied interventions, avoiding plastic waste leakage into the environment.

Conduct monitoring / estimation / scientific research on leakage of plastics/microplastics to the natural environment and/or flow of ocean surface.
What are the challenges if these actions are not conducted? 		No

Scope: ■ Macro Plastics
Brief Description:
Challenges: methodology definition and lack of financial resources.
International Collaboration
Participate in international cooperation through international organizations, multi-national groups, etc. Yes

Specific Measures:
1- TerraMar Project 2
TerraMar Project 2 is a partnership between the Ministry of the Environment of Brazil (MMA), and German Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), in the context of the International Climate Initiative (IKI, acronym in German), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
 
This technical cooperation project is supporting the development of the Plastic-free Ocean National Strategy.

2- GloLitter Partnerships Programme
The Glolitter Partnerships Programme (GloLitter), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Cooperation Development (Norad) and implemented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), aims to assist developing countries to prevent, reduce and control marine plastic litter (MPL) from the maritime transport and fisheries sectors, identifying opportunities for plastic use reduction. The Government of Brazil has presented an Expression of Interest to participate in the GloLitter,being one of the 10 Lead Countries. The role of these countries in their respective regions is to foster national actions in the context of supporting IMO Action Plan and FAO Voluntary Guidelines. After the Country Status Assessment, Brazil is, at this moment, elaborating its National Plan of Action considering legal, policy and enforcement measurements. The Ministry of the Environment is the coordinator of the Brazilian National Task Force, along with the Brazilian Navy, the National Waterways Transportation Agency and the Aquaculture and Fisheries Secretariat. GloLitter also contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals and to FAO Blue Growth Initiative (BGI) objectives.

Support target region by your international cooperation initiatives/projects: Yes

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Challenges

■ Data collection related to waste in general
Specific Challenges:
Improve data collection, both provided by municipalities and through the reverse logistics systems.
 
Broaden the use of Transportation of Waste System (MTR, in Portuguese)
 
Implement the National Monitoring System to reverse logistics.

■ Data collection related to marine plastic litter

■ Lack of financial incentives for waste treatment in general

■ Lack of financial incentives for technology development

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Best Practices

■ Private sector initiative
Description:
Private sector
The Sector Agreement for Reverse Logistics System for Packaging aims to ensure the environmentally appropriate destination of packaging in general. Through this agreement with Ministry of the Environment, manufacturers, importers, traders and distributors of packaging and products sold in packaging commit to working together to ensure environmentally friendly destination of the packaging they place on the market.
 
Technical cooperation agreement to carry out awareness campaigns on the proper disposal of packaging. Signed in 2022 between the MMA and the Brazilian Association of Soft Drinks and Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Abir). The implementation of the agreement began with the “Create this Habit” campaign, which aims to help society in the conscious disposal of packaging used at home.
 
Abir represents 71 non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers, which account for 90% of the market.
 
According to Abir, the associates recovered 23.6% of all packaging material used in the last two years, totaling more than 176 thousand tons. In the same period, R$ 16.7 million was invested in support programs for cooperatives of recyclable material collectors.
In addition, there are other important initiatives carried out by the private sector in Brazil, that are available through:

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Contact Details

Name: Ana Paula Leite Prates and Eduardo Rocha Dias Santos
Position: Directors
Division: Ocean and Coastal Management Department and Waste Management Department
Organization: Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
Email: ana.prates@mma.gov.br and eduardo.dias@mma.gov.br

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