Bangladesh National Plastic Action Partnership: Bring governments, business and civil society together to reduce plastic pollution

What’s Required

NPAP is not a regulatory framework, so it does not impose direct legal compliance requirements on companies.

Its main functions typically include:

1. Establish a national multi-stakeholder platform

NPAPs bring together stakeholders from across the plastics value chain, including:

1. National government.

2. Local government.

3. Consumer goods companies.

4. Packaging manufacturers.

5. Waste and recycling companies.

6. Civil society.

7. Development organizations.

8. Financial institutions.

9. Academia.

10. Informal waste-sector representatives.

The objective is to create a neutral platform for coordinated national action rather than fragmented initiatives.

2. Develop a national plastic action roadmap

One of the principal outputs of an NPAP is an evidence-based Plastic Action Roadmap.

This can include:

1. Baseline plastic-flow analysis.

2. Plastic waste generation estimates.

3. Leakage assessments.

4. Waste-management scenarios.

5. Policy recommendations.

6. Investment priorities.

7. Circular economy measures.

8. Reuse and refill strategies.

9. Recycling improvements.

10. Implementation targets.

NPAPs use national data and modeling to identify interventions most likely to reduce plastic pollution.

3. Conduct baseline and policy analysis

NPAPs analyze existing:

1. Plastic consumption.

2. Waste generation.

3. Recycling capacity.

4. Collection coverage.

5. Regulatory frameworks.

6. EPR systems.

7. Infrastructure gaps.

8. Investment barriers.

This evidence supports government and private-sector decision-making.

4. Support policy development

NPAPs can provide evidence and stakeholder coordination around policies such as:

• Extended Producer Responsibility.

• Single-use plastic restrictions.

• Packaging standards.

• Recycling targets.

• Waste segregation.

• Eco-design.

• Recycled-content requirements.

• Circular economy strategies.

NPAPs themselves do not enact these requirements. Binding obligations arise only when governments adopt legislation or regulation.

5. Mobilize finance

An important objective is to identify and finance interventions capable of reducing plastic pollution.

Potential investments include:

1. Waste collection.

2. Sorting infrastructure.

3. Recycling.

4. Reuse systems.

5. Alternative materials.

6. Digital traceability.

7. Waste-worker inclusion.

8. Circular business models.

6. Coordinate public-private action

NPAPs aim to turn national commitments into coordinated projects involving both government and industry.

UNDP describes NPAPs as neutral conveners intended to align policy, investment and innovation around shared national roadmaps.

7. Support inclusive waste systems

Many NPAPs include social inclusion considerations, particularly around:

1. Informal waste workers.

2. Women working in waste value chains.

3. Vulnerable communities.

4. Occupational conditions.

5. Livelihood transition.

Country-level work can therefore include gender equality and social inclusion analysis alongside technical plastic-flow modeling.

8. Share knowledge internationally

National partnerships are linked through GPAP, allowing countries to exchange:

1. Policy experience.

2. EPR implementation lessons.

3. Data methodologies.

4. Financing approaches.

5. Recycling models.

6. Circular economy solutions.

Important Deadlines

There are no universal statutory NPAP deadlines.

Each country establishes its own roadmap development and implementation timetable.

Typical milestones include:

1. Country joins GPAP.

2. NPAP governance structure established.

3. Secretariat created.

4. Baseline analysis undertaken.

5. National Plastic Action Roadmap developed.

6. Priority actions and financing pathways identified.

7. Roadmap implementation and monitoring begin.

Current Status

Active and ongoing.

NPAPs are a core component of the Global Plastic Action Partnership model. UNDP currently hosts or coordinates NPAP Secretariats in eight countries, including Bangladesh.

Across Asia, NPAP platforms have been established in countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Pakistan, the Philippines and Viet Nam, as well as Maharashtra State in India.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

NPAP has no enforcement authority and does not issue:

• Regulatory fines.

• Licenses.

• Market-access restrictions.

• Criminal penalties.

• Statutory sanctions.

However, companies may separately face obligations under national laws developed or strengthened alongside NPAP activities, such as EPR legislation.

Examples of Known Violations / Failure Modes

Because NPAP is a partnership framework, “violations” are not technically applicable.

Relevant implementation failure modes include:

1. Inadequate stakeholder participation.

2. Poor plastic-flow data.

3. Weak coordination between government agencies.

4. Failure to secure implementation finance.

5. Insufficient recycling infrastructure.

6. Roadmap recommendations not translated into policy.

7. Limited private-sector participation.

8. Failure to incorporate informal waste workers.

9. Weak monitoring of roadmap implementation.

10. Lack of alignment between national and local waste policy.

11. Pilot projects that do not scale.

12. Failure to establish reliable performance indicators.

Resources

• https://www.undp.org/chemicals-waste/projects/national-plastic-action-partnerships

• https://www.globalplasticaction.org/

• https://www.weforum.org/press/2025/01/25-countries-unite-in-the-fight-against-plastic-pollution/