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The toolkit will support the implementation of the Standards and Certification framework. It provides resources, good practice examples, guidance, templates and other tools to enable all tourism businesses and organication to implement the criteria and advance the proposed four tiers of the Certification Framework to achieve and sustain the goal of 100% reductions of SUPs.

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, threatening our marine life and affecting food security, human health, and marine biodiversity. As countries gather for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), taking place in Apia, Samoa this week, we urge everyone to reflect on our daily habits and how they impact our planet. 👎🏽 Say NO to single-use plastics: ‘Replace’ single-use plastics products like bottles, straws, bags and cutlery with eco-friendly alternatives. ♻️ Use designated rubbish bins: there are two kinds of bins at the CHOGM venues. Plastic and cans go into their correct slots at the recycle bins placed at key locations such as near the dining areas while everything else goes into the general waste bins. SPREP through the Australian Government funded, Pacific Ocean Litter Project #POLP is working together with the Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment support the Greening of #CHOGM2024 activities.

SPREP through the Australian Government funded, Pacific Ocean Litter Project #POLP is working together with Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa (MNRE) to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting #CHOGM, currently underway in Samoa. We talk to the MNRE's Assistant CEO for Waste Management & Pollution Management Division, Ms Katenia Rasch on the efforts undertaken to reduce plastic usage and waste at #CHOGM2024 This includes raising public education and awareness of plastic pollution and the single-use plastic issue in Samoa as well as provisions of waste and skip bins for proper waste segregation, collection and transportation for proper waste management including waste audits and monitoring.

More than 12 million tonnes of plastic waste makes its way into our oceans each year. To address the rising threats our ocean faces, leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) gathering in Apia are expected to launch the 'Apia Ocean Declaration' to accelerate initiatives for a healthy, sustainable and resilient ocean. The Commonwealth, a diverse family of 56 countries comprising of 2.7 billion people, have jurisdiction over 36% of the world’s national marine waters, therefore critical actors in the fight to protect oceans. The Commonwealth Blue Charter is an agreement by all 56 Commonwealth countries to actively cooperate to solve ocean-related challenges and meet commitments for sustainable ocean action. SPREP through the Australian Government funded, Pacific Ocean Litter Project #POLP is working together with Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Samoa (MNRE) to ensure a more sustainable and environmentally friendly Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting #CHOGM, currently underway in Samoa.

Marine litter negatively affects the environment, people and coastal economies around the world. In the Pacific region, the problem is even more severe given countries’ reliance on healthy ocean ecosystems and services. To promote a Cleaner Pacific, SPREP actively participated in the International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023 through the Agence française de Développement-funded SWAP Project, in collaboration with the Australian funded POLP Project, as well as the ISLANDS Pacific Ocean and PLASTIC TIDE TURNERS Projects. Hence, the SWAP project supported the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Samoa to conduct a beach clean-up activity. 55 participants volunteered for the preservation of their environment by collecting 35 kg of waste from the mangrove of the village of Vaovai located in the Falealili District, Upolu, Samoa.

The problem of marine litter is a global issue that impacts the environment, people and economies around the world. Engaging people in the preservation and cleaning of coastlines is crucial to the conservation of the ocean.

By 2050, scientists predict there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Plastic pollution is a global problem that everyone can help to solve. Heed the call from our children and be part of a collection to beat plastic pollution.