World Bank Says That SEA Countries Need Stronger Frameworks in Plastic Value Chain

In a World Bank blog post, ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi and Axel van Trotsenburg, Managing Director of Operations at World Bank have mentioned that the Southeast Asian region has become a top contributor to plastic pollution in light of the lack of infrastructure for waste management, rapid urbanization, and the rising middle class.

The World Bank says that these Southeast Asian nations need stronger regulatory frameworks and innovative methods in the plastic value chain to lessen the waste of plastic.

Experts say that half of the top 10 countries that contribute to plastic leakages in seas and rivers are part of Southeast Asia.

The World Bank’s studies show that in the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, around 75% of the material value of recyclable plastic worth about $6 billion is lost annually when single-use plastic is discarded instead of being reused.

With the ongoing pandemic, the use of sanitizer bottles, consumption of masks, online delivery packaging, and other single-use items increased and greatly contributed to plastic waste.

“If no action is taken, greenhouse gas emissions from the production, recycling, and incineration of plastics could account for 19 percent of the total allowable emissions under the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit warming by 2040 to 1.5 Celsius degrees. Reducing plastics thus has a critical climate co-benefit,” experts say.

Plastics are mostly made from fossil fuels. The increasing demand also worsens the climate crisis according to experts.

“But to be able to do its part, Southeast Asia needs stronger regulatory frameworks, more innovative business models, and a wider array of funding mechanisms,”  say experts.

Source: Philstar