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Guatemala City, Guatemala, September 24, 2024 (������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��). The End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative (EPPIC), a public-private partnership aimed at advancing more circular economies and reducing the environmental impact of plastic use, held an inception workshop in Guatemala City.

The workshop was hosted under the leadership of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��) in partnership with The Ocean Foundation, Searious Business, and the Aspen Institute, and with the support of the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala and the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN).

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EPPIC will focus on increasing knowledge of potential upstream and midstream solutions to advance more circular approaches for plastic, ensuring policy and regulatory frameworks that support and promote the implementation of diverse solutions and technologies through mechanisms such as grants, innovation prizes, and business development support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Globally, EPPIC will support the development of national projects by providing resources for interventions that ensure effectiveness and relevance to local contexts in Central America, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In Central America, EPPIC will closely collaborate with governments to develop plans addressing plastic pollution in Costa Rica and Guatemala under the implementation of ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��'s Regional Office for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean (ORMACC).

Through its grant mechanism, EPPIC will provide financial support to implement local solutions to plastic pollution. In June 2024, the partnership launched its first call for applications for the grant program, with the announcement of the first round of grantees expected soon. A second call for applications is scheduled for January 2025.

According to Edwin Castellanos, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change at MARN, the proper management of solid waste is a priority for this administration, which is why they are interested in implementing viable solutions that can be developed in collaboration with municipalities, the private sector, and the general population. Furthermore, it was noted that plastics represent an opportunity to showcase innovative solutions that include, for example, reducing single-use plastic materials. In this regard, EPPIC will be an important ally in the search for solutions, it was concluded.

Evelyn Vargas/UICN

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During her opening speech, ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� national representative in Guatemala, Raquel Sigüenza, stated that “������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ�� is advocating for the new Plastics Treaty to include an article dedicated to addressing the intersections between pollution and biodiversity, emphasizing the responsibilities that parties must assume, including, for example, promoting the development and implementation of strategies and programs to identify and protect species and ecosystems from the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of plastic pollution.”

This referring to the legally binding international instrument on plastic pollution under negotiation during the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5).

In addition, the representative from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, Jett Thomason, indicated that “This workshop represents a critical and unique opportunity to bring together key policymaking and administrative officials within Guatemala's federal and subnational governments, industry leaders, academics, and civil society organizations to converge and drive tangible progress in the fight against plastic pollution.”

“The incorporation of Guatemala into sustainable supply chains is key not only to improving the country's competitiveness but also to mitigating the impacts of climate change and protecting natural resources.,” added Luis Guillermo Pineda, advisor to the Vice Ministry of Integration and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy of Guatemala (MINECO).

Evelyn Vargas/UICN

By strengthening policies, public awareness, multisectoral collaboration, and business development capacity, plastic circularity will be improved throughout its lifecycle, preventing the release of plastic waste into the environment.

EPPIC promotes global partnerships for innovation, investments, business development, and solutions focused on preventing plastic pollution, fostering coordinated actions among governments, small and medium-sized enterprises, academia, and civil society.

Through its grant mechanism, EPPIC offers financial support for implementing local upstream and midstream solutions to plastic pollution. Guatemala will receive up to $225,000 under the current funding amount and potentially an additional $425,000 depending on future funding availability totalling a potential grant funding of $650,000.

The total number of awards given will depend on the maximum funding amount determined by the Latin America Grant Review Committee (LATAM GRC) for each grant call.

The workshop in Guatemala featured representatives from national environment and economy authorities, the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, local communities, and academia addressing plastic pollution issues.