FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I noticed not all sections are complete. When will more content and resources be available?
The site is a living portal that is being developed in stages. Additional content and resources will continue to be developed and updated on site throughout year.
As of April 2019 the following has been made live on site
- Content for Bags (Develop Policy) section.
- Initial content for the Food Service Ware and Microplastics pages, under Develop Policy menu. Please note, this content is NOT complete yet.
- Global Legislative Dataset and Heat Map – 1st iteration, focus on bags legislation with continual updates to dataset in process.
May 2019 – Effectiveness data and reports published on site by ScAAN.
June 2019 – Launch the ‘Ordinance Develop Tool’ for Food Service Ware section. A NEW site feature is in the works, which will allow users to draft their own food service ware ordinance. Users will be presented with a list of key ordinance elements and from this list they will ‘click-to-select’ the elements they wish to include in their draft ordinance which will can then be populated as a PDF resource.
Q3 2019 – Soft launch content for EPR (Develop Policy) section.
I noticed the site is a BETA VERSION - what does this mean?
This means you are viewing a WORK IN PROGRESS, not a finished product. The current site has been created in a simple format, to provide a platform to start sharing content and engaging with stakeholders. More content needs to be developed and added, but rather than waiting till all sections and site features were complete, we wanted to share this work in progress sooner rather than later. Especially because user feedback and needs will drive further developments. Users are encouraged to use the feedback button on site to send comments, questions and suggestions.
It should also be noted this is beta version as we have not yet worked with a web designer, thus images, colors, fonts, and page formats may change in coming months to be more visually engaging.
How do I use this webportal?
Site tutorial video coming May 2019
A couple suggested starting points
- For those looking to learn more about policy options and/or develop their own ordinance, search content by action item under the Develop Policy Menu: Bags | Food Service Ware | Microplastics. Each page provides an overview of types of policy approaches with strengths and weaknesses of each and links to example legislation. This is followed by a list of icons, which can be clicked on to learn more about specific policy elements, suggested best practices, and links to additional resources and tools.
- Check out the Legislative Datasets and Map page to find out what regulation has been adopted where and link to more examples of ordinance language around the world. Note that this feature is a work in progress and does not represent all passed legislation.
I’m looking for a particular resource or advice that I can’t find. Who do I ask?
Please use our Contact Form to submit your questions about finding a particular resource. We will do our best to get back to you within timely manner to either provide additional resources related to your question – if known – or let you know that this inquiry will be added to our list of user needs.
Please note, this portal will continue to be developed based on the needs of users thus your questions about particular resources is important for us to know to improve portal offerings.
Do you have policy experts who I can contact personally to advise me on drafting or adopting our specific regulation?
While we are connected to a variety of partners around the world working on legislation, the portal does not list individuals contact information for privacy reasons. For those looking for further advisement, we suggest checking out the Regions section of the portal to find the organisations working on plastic policy in your area and contact them directly through their websites.
If this does not fulfil your needs, please use the Contact Form to detail exactly what advisement you are looking for and if we can offer suggestions for possible consultants to contact, we will share this information with you privately.
I have resources to contribute to this portal. How can I suggest them as additions?
Thank you for your interest in contributing to our portal. Eventually we will have a submission form for users to complete but for now, please use our contact form to share more about the resource/s you wish to share.
Who created this resource?
This project was initially launched as a partnership between Plastic Pollution Coalition and UPSTREAM. From there both organisations have utilized its network of partners and allies, especially from the #breakfreefromplastic movement, to highlight their expertise and experience as the foundation of what we are presenting. As of 2018, the project is being managed by Plastic Pollution Coalition, in collaboration with global partners and policy experts.
How is the project being funded?
The Toolkit portal has been funded by grants given by Plastic Solutions Fund and Beagle Foundation as well as through a number of additional personal donations. Currently, Plastic Pollution Coalition is managing the project budgeting and fundraising. If you are interested in supporting further growth of toolkit project, you may do so here or use our contact form to inquiry about fundraising needs.