Plastic pollution is widely recognised as one of the most pressing global environmental challenges. In ASEAN Plus Three, plastic waste is projected to more than double – from 113 million tonnes in 2022 to 242 million tonnes by 2050. The year 2025 marks a pivotal moment for global and regional action: negotiations on a global plastics treaty have entered their third year, while the ASEAN Regional Action Plan (RAP) on Combating Marine Debris reaches its final implementation phase. Despite notable progress across the region, significant challenges remain.

Addressing plastic pollution requires systemic transformation that goes beyond isolated policies or sector-specific interventions. Reflecting this imperative, the Third ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution (ACCPP 2025) was convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 14 October 2025. Building on the outcomes of the 2023 and 2024 conferences, ACCPP 2025 examined the roles and contributions of diverse stakeholder groups across the plastics value chain, recognising their distinct mandates and responsibilities, under the theme ‘All Hands on Deck: Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future.’

Against this backdrop, this report synthesises key insights and recommendations emerging from ACCPP 2025. It calls for a concerted, all-hands-on-deck approach across the entire plastics life cycle to deliver meaningful change and effectively reduce plastic waste leakage into terrestrial and marine environments.