SWANA and USAID’s Global Flagship Program Sign MOU to Address Ocean Plastic Pollution

SWANA to provide capacity building and technical assistance to local leaders in rapidly urbanizing, coastal countries

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the US Agency for International Development’s Clean Cities, Blue Ocean (CCBO) program have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which SWANA will provide capacity building and technical assistance to CCBO’s global staff, industry representatives, and government officials. SWANA’s more than sixty years as the leading association in the solid waste management field will benefit CCBO’s rapidly urbanizing focal countries across Asia, the Pacific Islands, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Through the partnership, knowledge can be exchanged to advance local waste and resource management and strengthen solid waste management practices in CCBO countries, with an initial focus on the Caribbean and Latin America.

CCBO is USAID’s flagship program to address ocean plastic pollution, working in ten countries and more than 25 cities around the world to support the U.S. government’s Save Our Seas Act 2.0 legislation and advance local waste systems that can prevent ocean plastic pollution at its source. SWANA’s support will complement the program’s ongoing technical assistance in its focal countries, working to build local capacity for locally-driven and sustainable solutions.

“SWANA and its members have substantial expertise and experience on how to identify and implement sustainable solid waste management solutions,” stated David Biderman, SWANA’s Executive Director and CEO. “SWANA is also the industry leader for training and education, and we look forward to providing assistance to CCBO and its partners,” he added.

This MOU builds on other recent SWANA activities in Latin America. In 2018-2020, SWANA provided training to Colombian and Chilean landfill operators. SWANA entered into an MOU with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in late 2021.