South Asia is home to some of the world’s most important rivers and coastlines. Yet these vital lifelines are under growing threat from plastic pollution. The Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia (PLEASE) Project is working to change that.

Led by the South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) and supported by UNOPS and the World Bank, the project aims to reduce the flow of plastic waste into the region’s waterways.

PLEASE is supporting 28 local initiatives across six countries. Each one is finding practical ways to manage waste more sustainably, turning a major environmental challenge into an opportunity for innovation, livelihoods, and change.

To bring these stories to life, Beyond Borders Media was commissioned to lead the production of a regional web series and a suite of multimedia assets. Our task was to create compelling, high-quality visual storytelling that reflects the scale, diversity and impact of this unique cross-border collaboration.

Video was at the heart of the PLEASE campaign. BBM produced seven original films: one for each country, plus a flagship overview documentary.

Each film tells a unique story, rooted in place and led by the people driving the change.

We filmed in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, highlighting a wide range of locally-led efforts to prevent plastic leakage into waterways and seas.

From a women-run initiative producing coconut-leaf straws in Sri Lanka to reverse vending machines in Pakistan and biodegradable plastic prototypes in the Maldives, each story focused on tangible progress.

Our goal was to showcase real people and real results, while weaving them into a broader regional narrative of transformation.

Filming took place in close coordination with local initiatives, allowing us to blend BBM-shot content with existing footage already captured on the ground. This collaborative approach enabled us to cover dozens of projects efficiently, without losing depth or authenticity.

Each country film was developed with institutional and public audiences in mind, providing valuable assets for outreach, reporting and advocacy.

BBM developed the Social Media Strategy for this project, including a strategic plan for promoting social media posts, with a focus on increasing engagement and awareness about plastic challenges and solutions in the PLEASE project countries. This includes identifying and targeting the relevant audiences to maximise the impact of the campaign.

We also documented the innovative methods used to revive mangroves in abandoned rice fields and highlighted the role of PLANTA, the national mangrove platform, in coordinating restoration efforts.

BBM developed the Social Media Strategy for this project, including a strategic plan for promoting social media posts, with a focus on increasing engagement and awareness about plastic challenges and solutions in the PLEASE project countries. This includes identifying and targeting the relevant audiences to maximise the impact of the campaign.

BBM designed the PLEASE Project’s monthly newsletter, providing a platform for the project to communicate with relevant audiences. BBM published the newsletter on a monthly basis in partnership with PLEASE’s project team. Furthermore, we tracked monthly statistics on the performance and engagement of the newsletter.

The PLEASE Project is a rare example of regional coordination with local roots. Through film and photography, BBM helped transform a set of complex interventions into a relatable and inspiring campaign.

The result is not just documentation, but a powerful communications tool to raise awareness, foster partnerships and accelerate change!

By amplifying the voices of those leading the fight against plastic waste, the PLEASE project shows that South Asia is responding to a crisis and paving the way forward.

For this project Beyond Borders Media visited a lot of remote and exotic places. The behind the scenes photos showcase some of the challenges and joys we had throughout the development of this project!