Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Programme

The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme aims to address the environmental and human health impacts of the manufacturing sector in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, as well as some of the most pressing challenges associated with plastic pollution. Funded through UK International Development, £24.6 million has been committed to deliver research and related interventions to meet programme objectives. The SMEP Programme was commissioned in mid-2019 and will run until October 2026.

Established by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the programme management is implemented by SouthSouthNorth and Pegasys International, with the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as delivery partner providing technical assistance in the areas of trade and policy.

Initial scoping studies identified plastics and four major manufacturing sectors (Organic Waste and Water, Used Lead Acid Batteries, Textiles and Tanneries) as high contributors to environmental pollution, and these have been prioritised. The programme delivery is through targeted research and contracted grants which are awarded for piloting solutions designed to demonstrate scalable technologies, business models, and policy rationale to address plastic and manufacturing pollution in these prioritised sectors.

Additional co-benefits, such as creating opportunities to encourage Gender Equity and Social Inclusion in these sectors for women and marginalised groups, are supported and encouraged. In addition, projects with greenhouse gas mitigation potential are also supported to formally monitor, measure and report on climate mitigation benefits as a result of SMEP funding.

SMEP’s pilot projects have been implemented since 2022, with the final group (the tanneries sector) coming online in 2024. Since then (and as of June 2025), SMEP’s projects have: 

• diverted a 1,168 tonnes of plastic waste and 28,256.6 tonnes of organic waste from open air burning, leaking into the environment and/or landfill and repurposed this waste through circular economy methods into recycled plastic furniture, construction material and water craft, and in compost, alternative animal feed (e.g. black soldier fly larvae), biochar, and alternatively-sourced fibres, 
• developed three new biodegradable plastic substitutes to be used in fishing gear and agricultural practices, from mulching to fresh food packaging, 

• treated 240.5 kilolitres of wastewater through innovative technological solutions, preventing the leaching of microplastics and hazardous chemicals into the environment, 

• digitally traced 17,642.6 tonnes of textile waste through digital traceability platforms, enabling transparency in the textile recycling value chain, 

• reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 6,631 tCO2e, thereby contributing to air pollution standards and the global climate change crisis, and 

• positively contributed towards the livelihoods and well-being of over 3,590 beneficiaries.

These impacts have contributed towards the generation of research and evidence which can and has been used to influence key policy pathways, particularly through SMEP’s implementation partner, UNCTAD. For example, SMEP has played a significant role in informing discussion at the 5th UN Oceans Forum and at the third UN Oceans Conference held in 2025, particularly through projects working on marine and coastal plastic pollution and biodegradable and non-plastics substitutes and alternative fibres. SMEP projects within the textiles and tanneries sectors are also engaging with major industry certification bodies, such as the Leather Working Group and Sustainable Leather Foundation, to ensure that their solutions meet regulatory requirements and environmental standards, thereby promoting uptake within the sector.

These are just some of the many examples of how the SMEP Programme is contributing towards the broader regulatory and policy environment to promote the uptake of solutions which simultaneously curb pollution through circular economy principles and promote the well-being of local communities.

For more information, visit SMEP’s website and follow their work on LinkedIn.