Kiribati

National Action Plan

Name（Year）:
● Kiribati Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy 2020-2030

Brief Description:
The Kiribati Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (KWMRRS) 2020–2030 is a national 10-year strategy that provides a clear framework for improving the management of solid, chemical and hazardous waste in Kiribati. It aims to reduce pollution, protect human health and the environment, promote waste reduction and resource recovery, and strengthen national capacity, governance, collaboration and public awareness.

The Strategy identifies 12 priority waste streams, including plastic waste, bulky waste, healthcare waste, e-waste, recyclable waste, organic waste, wastewater, chemical waste and used tyres, and promotes coordinated action among government, communities, the private sector and development partners.

In Preparation

Name:
● Single-Use Plastic Road Map

Brief Description:
The Single-Use Plastics Roadmap for Kiribati will provide a strategic and coordinated approach to reducing single-use plastic waste. It will identify priority actions, timelines, responsible stakeholders, policy and regulatory measures, awareness initiatives, and appropriate alternatives to support the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of selected single-use plastic products in Kiribati.

Legal Framework

Name（Year）:
● Environment Act 2021

Brief Description:
The Environment Act 2021 of Kiribati establishes a legally binding framework to protect the nation's terrestrial and marine ecosystems by strictly regulating waste management, littering, and marine pollution. While the text does not use the exact phrase "marine plastic litter" verbatim, it directly targets plastic waste by mandating proper waste containment and segregation (distinguishing recyclables from organics), prohibiting general littering, and imposing heavy penalties for abandoning bulky waste or dumping waste into lagoons and marine waters. Under Sections 22 and 23, discharging harmful substances or dumping waste into the sea carries fines up to $1,000,000 and significant prison sentences. Furthermore, the Act grants the Minister authority to ban environmentally unfriendly imports, enforces a duty on polluters to clean up discharged waste, and embeds circular economy principles including the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) + Return, Polluter Pays, and Extended Producer Responsibility to systematically prevent land-based plastic from entering marine habitats.

Country’s Legislation:
● Maritime Act 2017

Brief Description:
The Kiribati Maritime Act 2017 is national legislation that modernizes Kiribati’s shipping laws, establishes systems for ship registration, safety, and pollution control, and implements key international maritime conventions such as MARPOL.

Indicators and/or Targets

In Preparation

In Progress:
There are currently two ongoing projects within the Environment and Conservation Division (ECD) that are relevant to addressing marine litter: the Pacific Ocean Litter Project (POLP) and Sustainable Waste Actions in the Pacific (SWAP).

Under the POLP, the development of a Single-Use Plastics Roadmap is currently in progress and has not yet been finalized. Once completed, the roadmap is expected to provide a framework that can support the monitoring and tracking of progress in addressing marine plastic litter (MPL).

Similarly, the SWAP project is still ongoing and once it’s approaching the end of its implementation period. The outcomes and mechanisms developed through the project may potentially be incorporated into future efforts to support the monitoring and tracking of policy implementation related to waste management and marine plastic litter.

Plastic Product Flow
■ Waste (generated/collected):
Indicators:
Plastic types and Quantity

Plastic Leakage
■ Beach/Coastline:
Indicators:
Plastic types and Quantity
Targets:
Reduce types and quantity of plastic waste generated

Brief Description:
Data tracking the output of plastic waste.

Technical Standards, Guidelines and Methodologies

Topics:
■ Waste Management / Recycling

Brief Description:
Under the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS), PET bottles, aluminium cans, and batteries are subject to a levy.

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