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Given the cross-boundary and multifaceted nature of marine plastics, tackling the issue requires commitment and involvement of governmental authorities from various lines of relevant areas, from local to international level. The roles and responsibilities of specific authorities are different in any given country and region, and so are the regulations, initiatives, and measures taken to address the issues.
The legal framework for waste management, as part of efforts to protect Cambodia’s environment, is provided by the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources adopted in 1996. By 2023, this law was repealed and replaced by the Code on Environment and Natural Resources, which outlines provisions for waste management, including the assignment of responsibilities, mandates for establishing waste discharge standards, and guidelines for polluter pays principle.
Specifically, solid waste management in Cambodia is governed by the Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management and the Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management, which were enacted in 1999 and 2015, respectively. These decrees outline the responsibilities for waste management, including collection and recycling, which primarily lie with the provincial and city authorities. To specifically address plastic waste, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) established the Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags in 2017 which imposes a levy on plastic bags and implemented the 4R (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach since 2019. More recently, the Government of Cambodia developed the Urban Solid Waste Management Policy 2020-2030 and the Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028, guiding development plans on waste management. However, there is currently no specific regulation in Cambodia which would mandate that product manufacturers, importers, and sellers take responsibility for the proper management of waste generated by their products.
Table 1. Summary of policies and regulations related to EPR for packaging in Cambodia.
Policies and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management | 24 December 1996 | Repealed |
Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management | 27 April 1999 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management | 27 August 2015 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags | 10 October 2017 | In effect |
Urban Solid Waste Management Policy 2020-2030 | 29 June 2021 | In effect |
Code on Environment and Natural Resources | 29 June 2023 | In effect |
Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028 | 15 November 2023 | In effect |
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) initiated the development of EPR policies in 2021, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia under the ‘Combatting Marine Plastic Litter in Cambodia’ project. One of the outputs from this initiative was the launch of the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan in June 2021, identifying the establishment of EPR schemes and plastic production standards as one of the priority areas for achieving a circular economy. The plan comprises of three actions, each with a different timeline spanning from 2020 to 2034:
drafting and enacting regulations on EPR;
creating take-back programmes operated by or on behalf of manufacturers; and
developing and implementing the production standard of plastics products to increase recyclability of plastic products.
In addition to the Action Plan, the project also delivered an EPR Roadmap for Cambodia in the same year, outlining the objectives, actors, and instruments of EPR, while proposing a transition roadmap from voluntary to mandatory EPR frameworks in Cambodia. The following year, with support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, the RGC developed Cambodia’s Roadmap for Sustainable Consumption and Production for 2022-2025. The roadmap lays out priority strategies and actions to strengthen the sustainability of Cambodia’s economic and social development, endorsing the implementation of EPR schemes to support solid waste reduction and management efforts.
Against this backdrop, Cambodia is currently in the process of developing a new legal framework to integrate an EPR system into its waste management system. According to a working paper by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2022, the MoE was reviewing a Sub-Decree on Plastic Management, intended to lay out measures aimed at managing and reducing the use of plastic products, including EPR, green procurement, and eco-labelling initiatives.
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
The legal framework for waste management, as part of efforts to protect Cambodia’s environment, is provided by the Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources adopted in 1996. By 2023, this law was repealed and replaced by the Code on Environment and Natural Resources, which outlines provisions for waste management, including the assignment of responsibilities, mandates for establishing waste discharge standards, and guidelines for polluter pays principle.
Specifically, solid waste management in Cambodia is governed by the Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management and the Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management, which were enacted in 1999 and 2015, respectively. These decrees outline the responsibilities for waste management, including collection and recycling, which primarily lie with the provincial and city authorities. To specifically address plastic waste, the Ministry of Environment (MoE) established the Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags in 2017 which imposes a levy on plastic bags and implemented the 4R (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach since 2019. More recently, the Government of Cambodia developed the Urban Solid Waste Management Policy 2020-2030 and the Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028, guiding development plans on waste management. However, there is currently no specific regulation in Cambodia which would mandate that product manufacturers, importers, and sellers take responsibility for the proper management of waste generated by their products.
Table 1. Summary of policies and regulations related to EPR for packaging in Cambodia.
Policies and Regulations | Promulgation Date | Status |
Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Management | 24 December 1996 | Repealed |
Sub-Decree No. 36 on Solid Waste Management | 27 April 1999 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 113 on Urban Garbage and Solid Waste Management | 27 August 2015 | In effect |
Sub-Decree No. 168 on the Management of Plastic Bags | 10 October 2017 | In effect |
Urban Solid Waste Management Policy 2020-2030 | 29 June 2021 | In effect |
Code on Environment and Natural Resources | 29 June 2023 | In effect |
Circular Strategy on Environment 2023-2028 | 15 November 2023 | In effect |
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) initiated the development of EPR policies in 2021, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia under the ‘Combatting Marine Plastic Litter in Cambodia’ project. One of the outputs from this initiative was the launch of the National Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan in June 2021, identifying the establishment of EPR schemes and plastic production standards as one of the priority areas for achieving a circular economy. The plan comprises of three actions, each with a different timeline spanning from 2020 to 2034:
drafting and enacting regulations on EPR;
creating take-back programmes operated by or on behalf of manufacturers; and
developing and implementing the production standard of plastics products to increase recyclability of plastic products.
In addition to the Action Plan, the project also delivered an EPR Roadmap for Cambodia in the same year, outlining the objectives, actors, and instruments of EPR, while proposing a transition roadmap from voluntary to mandatory EPR frameworks in Cambodia. The following year, with support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme, the RGC developed Cambodia’s Roadmap for Sustainable Consumption and Production for 2022-2025. The roadmap lays out priority strategies and actions to strengthen the sustainability of Cambodia’s economic and social development, endorsing the implementation of EPR schemes to support solid waste reduction and management efforts.
Against this backdrop, Cambodia is currently in the process of developing a new legal framework to integrate an EPR system into its waste management system. According to a working paper by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2022, the MoE was reviewing a Sub-Decree on Plastic Management, intended to lay out measures aimed at managing and reducing the use of plastic products, including EPR, green procurement, and eco-labelling initiatives.
Updated as of 10 January 2025.
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