SMEP News
Explore the latest SMEP news and stories here. Our news section showcases key events, achievements, and thought-provoking articles to keep our community and visitors abreast of SMEP happenings.
Linear pressures, circular solutions: Making the case for integrated national bioeconomy policies
Countries are ramping up sustainability plans, but too often, they are designed in isolation. A new UNCTAD SMEP Programme–Chatham House brief reveals that national circular economy and bioeconomy strategies, are rarely aligned, undermining efforts to use biological resources more sustainably and reduce pollution and waste. This gap is also negative
Innovating Sustainability: The role of research and development in the Flipflopi Project
The Flipflopi Project, based in the Lamu Archipelago, Kenya, is addressing plastic pollution and deforestation through community-led recycling, heritage preservation, and sustainable manufacturing. With SMEP support, the project established a Material Recovery and Recycling Facility (MRRF), advanced R&D into recycled plastic structural integrity, and launched a Heritage Boat Building Training
Flipflopi Launches Toolkit to Tackle Plastic Recycling Challenges in Remote Communities
If you’re looking for practical insights to setting up and scaling plastic waste initiatives, look no further. The SMEP-funded Flipflopi Project has launched a step-by-step guide to help recyclers build resilient, impact-driven recycling programmes. The Toolkit is available for free at toolkit.theflipflopi.com. “By sharing what we’ve learned, we hope coastal
Addressing potentials for Organic Waste in the Circular Economy
Our technical delivery partner, UNCTAD, will be hosting a side-event to the World Circular Economy Forum 2025! Opportunities for embedding the bio-economy into national circular economy plans 🗓 Date: 12 May 2025🕒 Time: 2:00 PM GMT -3⌛Duration: 3 hours📍 Venue: In person at Sala da Congregação, FEA-USP, São Paulo, Brazil, or join online.
On the Road to Nice: Better markets make better catches
In 2022, global fisheries and aquaculture hit a record 223.2 million tonnes – enough to supply every person on Earth with 28 kg of fish and seafood for a year (SOFIA, 2024). But behind that volume are millions of livelihoods, many in developing countries that still lack the tools to
On the Road to Nice: Tackling ghost gear as 2025 deadline for marine pollution reduction nears
As the world edges closer to the 2025 global deadline to reduce marine pollution under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.1, momentum is building across governments, businesses, and international organisations to accelerate action for healthier oceans. The UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice (9–13 June 2025) is a major checkpoint towards meeting