Summary:

USAID and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), through separate agreements with Mercy Corps (USAID’s agreement with Mercy Corps is the “Plastics Upcycling Alliance”), with local industry Caltech and global brewer Heineken dedicating cash and in-kind resources independently, have all aligned under a co-created framework for results to advance Timor-Leste toward ‘plastic neutral’ status. The combined effort, known as the Plastic Solutions Alliance, seeks to create a value chain for used plastic that will add to Timor-Leste’s small manufacturing base, bring a measure of diversification to the oil-dependent economy, and move the country further along its journey to self-reliance. To be successful, a supply chain for plastic waste must be created while simultaneously stimulating a market for products made from recycled plastic.

Activity Objectives:

A key measure of success will be when citizens see intrinsic or economic benefits from picking up and recycling plastics for repurposing in a manner that mirrors the existing, well-established waste metal value chain.

• Grow a domestic supply chain for plastic waste with new enterprise and ‘green collar’ job opportunities.

• Redirect approximately 20 percent of the 12.5 million kg of plastic waste produced annually in Dili to local manufactures of recycled products

• Develop, test and deploy new product lines made from recycled plastic—such as construction pavers and aggregate for road resurfacing projects—with the ability to outcompete currently available product alternatives in the local market

• Create demand for products made from recycled plastic waste

• Reduce plastic consumption and identify viable plastic product substitutions