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.
Rethinking Leather Production: A four-part SMEP series on Sustainable Leather Production
“There once was a king who ruled a wealthy country. One day, he decided to visit every corner of his kingdom. After returning to his palace, he complained about the pain in his feet from the rocky roads. Frustrated, he ordered his men to cover all the roads in his
An ocean of waste and opportunity: Rethinking marine pollution at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference
On 8 June, the UN World Oceans Day invites us to “marvel at a realm that sustains half the planet’s oxygen, cradles most biodiversity and feeds over a billion people”. Yet by 2025, as countries convene for the third time at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France,
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.