Waste Technology Expert

Result of Service A fully developed paper on plastic and plastic waste technologies and their transfer as part of a Global Plastic Waste Management Outlook – Special Edition on Plastic Waste Management Technologies.

Work Location Remote (home-based)

Expected duration 3 human-months over a 3-month period (full time), starting as early as possible

Duties and Responsibilities A. Background

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

The overall objective of the UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division is to encourage decision makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities.

As part of the Industry and Economy Division, UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) works with developing countries to implement sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, with focus on holistic waste management. UNEP-IETC provide technical and advisory support to national and local governments to enhance their use of environmentally sound strategies and approaches. UNEP-IETC also implement in-country demonstration projects using innovative waste prevention and management methods and technologies to improve human well-being, reduce the impact of climate change, increase resilience and create jobs. Working with a wide range of partners and in line with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, UNEP-IETC mission is to serve as a global centre of excellence on environmentally sound technologies with focus on holistic waste management.

Under the MTS 2022-2025, UNEP developed a programme on solid waste and wastewater management. Waste disposal and recycling technologies as well as associated technology transfer are a key to developing integrated solid waste management systems in the member States. Further the International Negotiating Committee on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (INC) has started recently and waste management issues would be considered one of the topics to be discussed under this Committee. The UNEP prepared documents for the first session of the INC touched on technologies related to environmentally sound technologies related to plastic production, plastic waste disposal and recycling, and plastic alternatives.

The proposed consultancy will focus on compilation of available plastic (waste) technologies, economics of deployment of technologies, and conditions for technology transfer.

The basis for action is hinged on the following legislative authorities:

• The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Goals 11 and 12;
• Relevant MEAs, such as the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Bamako Convention, Minamata Convention;
• The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway;
• UNEP Assembly Resolutions: UNEP/EA.4/Res.7 Environmentally Sound Management of waste; UNEP/EA.5/Res.4 End Plastic Pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument; UNEP/EA.4 Res.21 Implementation plan “Towards a Pollution-Free Planet;” UNEA/EA.5/Res. Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste; UNEP/EA5/Res. Enhancing Circular Economy as a contribution to achieving sustainable consumption and production; UNEP/EA.5/Res. Science-Policy Panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution;
• UNEP Medium-Term Strategy (MTS) 2022-2025 and Programme of Work for 2022-2023; and
• INC reports and documents
• UNCTAD (2022) Technology assessment in developing countries: A proposed methodology
• UNEP Sustainability Assessment of Technologies
• Draft technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of plastic wastes (document used for the Basel Convention SIWG on plastic waste)

UNEP-IETC functions as the Global Centre of Excellence on Environmentally Sustainable Waste Management. The Centre promotes and advocates sustainability of waste management and disposal, based on the circularity principles and through the life-cycle approach. Sound management of waste contributes to all three pillars of sustainable development. UNEP-IETC is also contributing to the INC processes from the waste management perspective.

B. Duties

Objectives: To prepare a technical document on the available technologies to prevent and reduce plastic pollution and promote environmentally sound and circularity approaches. The objective is not to develop comprehensive compendia of available technologies or providers, but rather to provide a process/approach to assessing different technologies and their applicabilities

Output expectations: A core document (up to 50 pages), with additional information in annexes as necessary. A summarized 10-page version.

Performance indicators The production of the scoping paper, first draft and final draft programme document of the quality satisfactory to UNEP.

C. Specific Tasks and Responsibilities

The consultancy will work directly with and will be supervised by the Programme Officer responsible for plastic waste, International Environmental Technology Centre, Industry and Economy Division of UNEP.

The tasks of the consultant are: 1. Carry out desktop and online study to collect and compile information on available technologies at small, medium and large scales,, their application economics and other conditions; Further carry out study on existing technology needs assessments, particularly under the UNFCCC;

2. Develop a scoping paper for the report. Technologies to be considered should include physical, chemical and digital technologies, covering the whole lifecycle of plastics possibly including but not limited to: - environmentally sound technologies in plastic production; - plastic pollution monitoring and assessment; - plastic recycling and plastic waste disposal; - plastic product design for reuse and recycle; and - technologies on alternatives to plastics (or problematic plastics). Priorities should be given to commercially available and transferable technologies but include promising emerging technologies;

3. Develop a section on technology transfer that includes examples/case studies of successful technology transfers;

4. Within this section, propose key social, economic and capacity conditions/requirements and possibly criteria for technology transfer, based on needs assessments of recipient countries;

5. Develop a draft report, which includes categorized physical, chemical, digital and other technologies related to the lifecycle of plastics, economic analysis of technologies, technology assessment recommendations, technology transfer conditions and criteria (possibly includes legislations and management systems), and recommendations for further discussion;

6. Address comments provided by UNEP and other reviewers; and

7. Prepare and submit a final draft report to UNEP for UNEP’s final approval.

Qualifications/special skills Graduate degree in the field of environmental management, environmental engineering, environmental policies and strategies, and other related areas. At least 7 years of professional experiences in environmental management of waste, waste disposal and recycling, waste technologies, plastics production and recycling and other plastic related or waste related fields. Experiences in UN technical report writing.

Languages Demonstrated capacity to write UN documents in English.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.