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The ProBaMet Project, a partnership involving Oeko-Institut, ARE, SRADev Nigeria, and Platform Lead, has established a positive listing for lead-acid battery recycling in Nigeria to promote responsible waste management and mitigate risks to human health and the environment.

This research paper by Shamika N. Sirimanne of UN Trade and Development explores the environmental footprint of the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. It analyzes how logistics, packaging, and consumer behavior contribute to carbon emissions and waste, and proposes a multi-stakeholder framework involving governments, the private sector, and international organizations to transition toward a sustainable digital economy.

This report by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) provides guidance on the design and implementation of trade-related circular economy policies and measures (TrCEMs). It aims to help governments create frameworks that achieve environmental and public health goals while minimizing trade costs and supporting fair transitions, particularly for developing countries.

This case study describes the Kham River Restoration Initiative in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India. The project transformed a polluted seasonal river, previously used as a dumping ground, into a community asset through a combination of waste management infrastructure, ecological restoration, and community engagement. The initiative is notable for establishing the first Urban River Management Plan for a seasonal river in India.

This report examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in facilitating the transition to a global circular economy to address the 'triple planetary crisis'. It analyzes current trade measures, identifies a disproportionate focus on end-of-life waste management over upstream resource reduction, and proposes a framework for regulatory alignment and mutual recognition of circular goods and services to prevent market fragmentation and 'circular resource nationalism'.

This research paper, commissioned by the Estonian Ministry of Climate, examines the feasibility of recycling capabilities for textile waste in Estonia in response to the European Union’s Waste Framework Directive.

Friends of the Earth International issues a statement calling for a legally binding global plastics treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal. The organization argues that the treaty must include production limits, confront the influence of the fossil fuel industry, and end 'waste colonialism' where wealthy nations export plastic waste to the Global South.

Friends of the Earth International issues a statement calling for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production and extraction to waste management, while limiting the influence of the fossil fuel industry in negotiations.

The National Report on the State of the Environment: Uzbekistan (2023) provides a comprehensive assessment of environmental trends in the context of the country's socio-economic development. Using the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) framework, the report analyzes critical issues including climate change, water scarcity, land degradation, air pollution, and the ongoing Aral Sea crisis. It highlights the tension between rapid economic and population growth and the sustainability of natural resources, while detailing national strategies and international partnerships aimed at achieving a 'green' transition by 2030.

This guide by RMI provides recommendations for recipients of the US EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) planning grants to incorporate organic waste and landfill methane strategies into their Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs). It emphasizes the use of 20-year global warming potentials to highlight the urgency of methane reduction and suggests a combination of upstream waste prevention and downstream landfill control measures to achieve significant greenhouse gas reductions and community benefits.

This report by the Global Climate and Health Alliance, prepared by Abt Associates, examines the sources of methane emissions from the waste sector—specifically municipal solid waste and wastewater—and the associated public health benefits of mitigation strategies. It provides technical solutions for reducing methane and outlines a framework for international, national, and local action to improve health equity and climate resilience.

This report by the Global Climate and Health Alliance examines the intersection of methane emissions from the waste and wastewater sectors and human health. It details how improving waste management can reduce tropospheric ozone and other pollutants, thereby preventing premature deaths and diseases, while providing strategies for international, national, and local action.

This briefing by RMI outlines strategies and policy levers to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the United States. It proposes a two-pronged approach: improving the monitoring and control of existing waste and preventing new methane generation by diverting organic waste from landfills. The document advocates for stronger federal standards from the EPA to scale these reductions and protect adjacent communities.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a comprehensive compilation of existing definitions from Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), international organizations, and regional norms to support the negotiation of a legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution.

This guide by RMI outlines the climate impact of the plastics industry, emphasizing that plastic production is a significant source of carbon pollution due to its reliance on fossil fuels. It discusses the necessity of accurate carbon accounting, the potential for decarbonization through renewable energy and electrification, and the climate implications of various plastic waste disposal methods.

This report analyzes household waste practices in Bangkok, finding that 75% of waste is thrown out as trash despite high reported attitudes in favor of sorting. Organic waste is the largest component (83% of total weight) and the most difficult to manage. The study highlights the critical role of informal waste workers and economic incentives in driving recycling, while recommending that the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority prioritize organic waste and integrate informal workers into holistic waste management models.

This policy brief provides an overview of the WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution, a member-led initiative launched in November 2020 to foster trade cooperation to reduce plastic pollution. It details the Dialogue's evolution, its three primary workstreams—crosscutting issues, promoting trade to tackle pollution, and circularity/reduction—and explores various policy options for international cooperation within the WTO framework, while emphasizing complementarity with other global efforts like the UNEA negotiations for a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the governance of the circular economy (CE) in urban settings. It identifies key barriers to implementation—such as administrative silos and a lack of holistic data—and provides four strategic recommendations for urban policymakers to accelerate the transition toward resource-efficient and resilient urban systems.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative assesses global primary investment in methane abatement for 2019/2020. It finds that methane abatement is severely underfunded, receiving less than 2% of total climate finance, despite its high potential for rapid global warming reduction. The report highlights significant funding gaps in the fossil fuel and agriculture sectors and identifies barriers such as measurement uncertainties and a lack of standardized reporting.

This policy brief examines the role of the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Harmonized System (HS) in tracking international trade across the life cycle of plastics. It argues that current HS classifications lack the granularity needed for evidence-based policymaking to tackle plastic pollution and proposes specific amendments for the 2022–2027 cycle to improve transparency in trade flows of feedstocks, primary plastics, manufactured products, and waste.