The Role of Packaging Regulations and Standards in Driving the Circular Economy

The development of packaging policies stems from intersecting challenges being faced by economies across the world. On one hand, growth in population has led to an increase in consumption and consequently an increase in the amount of per capita waste generation. On the other hand, existing municipal waste management infrastructure is struggling to keep up with basic collection of waste and is far from equipped handle plastic packaging waste by means that would result in recovery of material by recycling.This report aims to review the development of packaging waste policies and standards as a response to the challenges discussed above. Also examined here is the role, that policy interventions can play in addressing the growing environmental challenges posed by packaging and packaging waste. This report also explores the regulatory landscape in each of the ten Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in light of the global policies and the efforts to address the issue of packaging waste.