Plastic Program Newsletter Issue #3

Dear Colleague,

Welcome to the third issue of Verra’s Plastic Program Newsletter, where we share updates on Verra’s Plastic Waste Reduction Program (Plastic Program).

If you have questions or comments about the newsletter, please contact plasticstandard@verra.org.

Verra staff will attend the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop a Global Plastic Treaty to curb plastic pollution. The session will take place in Ottawa, Canada, from April 23 to 29, 2024, and our team will be on the ground from April 20 to 25. If you will be at INC-4 and are interested in connecting with Verra staff, please email events@verra.org.

Plastic Credits and the measurement framework encompassed within the Plastic Program improve the way companies make and report on beyond value chain investments in plastic waste collection and recycling activities

For projects with a start date between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2021, project proponents must complete validation and request registration by June 30, 2024. This deadline, which is an extension to the original deadline, was announced in September 2023. Further extensions to the deadline will not be provided. Additional details can be found in the Corrections and Clarifications to the Plastic Program Rules and Requirements (PDF), issued in February 2024.

New projects are being registered and verified with the Plastic Program each month. See below for a summary of the recent projects that have completed their registration and verification approval process:

• Project STOP (ID 4135) works with cities across Indonesia through a public-private partnership model to create effective waste management systems that reduce plastic leakage into the ocean.
• The Batam Ocean Impact Project (ID 4199) collects mismanaged plastic waste from coastal and river environments in the region of Batam through cleanups and waste management activities undertaken by formally hired and trained community members.
• Pure North: Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Iceland (ID 4133) is a project with the first legally operating recycling facility in Iceland, which utilizes geothermal energy to clean and recycle plastic waste domestically.

Visit the Verra Registry to see the status of all projects undergoing the registration and/or verification process with the Plastic Program.

In the next few months, our team looks forward to connecting with stakeholders at the following events:

• April 23–29, 2024: INC-4 (Ottawa, Canada) (external)
• May 22–24, 2024: Circularity 24 (Chicago, IL) (external)

Verra staff participate regularly in events. For a comprehensive list, please check our events page, which is continually updated. If you would like to invite a Verra team member to speak at your event, please contact events@verra.org.