This research proposal builds upon the 3.5-year UKRI NERC funded Plastic Packaging in People’s Lives (PPiPL) and the 6-month LU GCRF, Newton Consolidation Account and Future Cities Research Institute funded PPiPL Malaysia Pilot. Both projects examined plastic packaging consumption and disposal as integrated within selected UK and Malaysian households’ personal, professional and social activities and the waste infrastructure in which these households operate within.

Single use plastics remains a prominent issue in Malaysia with ambitions to recycle 25% post-consumer plastic by 2025 (Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2023). Malaysia is prominent destination for many countries plastic waste to be processed, including the UK. To combat the ongoing challenges of plastic waste the Malay Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MIT) indicated that in the next three to five years they will mandate Extended Producer Responsibility and encouraged all plastic producers to incorporate the cost of environment management into their production processes and incentivise sustainable manufacturing practices (Ho, 2024). However, producers operate in a wider value chain that requires considerations of consumption, disposal and waste infrastructures as these areas impact upon how plastic is adopted, used, collected and disposed of (Cronin et al 2024; Stowell et al 2024).

Malaysia and the UK face challenges in recapturing and recycling domestic plastics due to a variety of shared and distinct factors, including the different modes of management, the balance between formal and informal infrastructure, and socio-cultural practices (see PPiPL resources - Lancaster University). Amid ongoing challenges and efforts to improve recycling rates, this proposed research aims to foster dialogue with stakeholders across the value chain, exchange and share ideas, and identify key challenges that will shape a comprehensive research agenda.

The project aims: To create a communication platform that brings together diverse stakeholders (e.g. business, policymakers, NGOs, researchers, consumers) for meaningful dialogue on plastic packaging, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and sustainability, with a focus on the roles of consumers and waste management.

The project objectives:
• Translate academic research into practical insights for business and policy context.
• Facilitate open dialogue among diverse stakeholder groups on plastic packaging, EPR and sustainability.
• Identify emerging research topics and opportunities for future collaborations.