Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde plays a strategic role as an island nation facing mounting plastic pollution pressures linked to limited landfill capacity, high plastic imports, and increasing coastal exposure. Through IslandPlas, GBW is supporting Cabo Verde to establish the institutional, data, and operational foundations for a circular plastics economy that prevents land-based plastic leakage into the Atlantic Ocean while strengthening long-term coastal resilience.

Implementation is anchored in strong collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the National Directorate of Environment, alongside municipalities, civil society organisations, informal waste actors, and private sector partners. National governance structures were consolidated through a National Steering Committee, while operational readiness was secured through the onboarding of Caboplast as the implementing partner for plastic recovery and transformation. This process coincided with the commissioning of Cabo Verde’s first large-scale plastic recycling facility, marking a critical step toward domestic recycling capacity within the GBW Atlantic seascape.

Early impacts demonstrate GBW’s systems-based approach in action: a national Plastic Waste Profile and Material Flow Analysis completed and validated to inform evidence-based decision-making; alignment achieved with national legislation on single-use plastics; and partnerships initiated with private sector actors, including beverage producers, to support coordinated plastic collection and recovery from 2026 onward. Together, these interventions position Cabo Verde to transition from fragmented waste management toward a GBW-aligned circular plastics pathway that protects Atlantic marine ecosystems while creating inclusive economic opportunities across island communities.