Update of 2009 APEC Report on Economic Costs of Marine Debris to APEC Economies

The marine economy GDP in the APEC region is estimated to be US$2.13 trillion dollars, 4.8% of total APEC GDP in 2015. The 2009 APEC estimate of $1.26 billion of damage from marine debris to fisheries and aquaculture, marine transport, shipbuilding and marine tourism industries from marine debris has risen nine times to become an estimated US$11.2 billion in 2015.

This report proposes national waste governance plans to address marine debris “hot spots”, provide technical litter traps on rivers to improve marine debris prevention and remediation, and promote private sector and public involvement in models that extend both producer and consumer responsibility. The report has four case studies of best practice and ends by making recommendations for moving forward, illustrating preventative marine debris measures that may benefit marginalized groups in the APEC region.