Bangkok--10 Jun--Ipsos Business Consulting
On average, each Thai citizen uses more than 60 kilograms of plastics every year – about as much as the typical person weighs. This is the equivalent of more than 670 plastic bags every year, and much of this amount goes unrecycled, remaining in the environment for generations.
Plastics make up an important part of our daily lives – especially plastic packaging. Around 5 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide per year, or more than 700 bags per person (UNEP, 2018). Southeast Asia accounts for almost 20% of global plastics consumption, with high usage from Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore leading the region.
The convenience of plastic comes in large part from its durability, yet this quality is also the cause of major concern. When plastic waste is poorly managed, it piles up on land, in sewers and canals, and finally as marine debris, resulting in critical damage to the environment. In Thailand alone, just 23% of plastic waste is reused or recycled (PCD Thailand, 2019), while the rest is thrown away. Improper disposal of plastics results in plastic waste leaking out into the environment.
ASEAN consumers are increasingly aware of the waste problem (and plastic waste in particular), as revealed by a 2019 Ipsos online survey of 3,928 people in 3 ASEAN countries (Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia). Survey results show 49% of respondents believe that dealing with waste is now the most important environmental issue needing government attention. Solving this problem requires a great collective effort to bring about more responsible plastic production and use, as well as careful management of plastic waste.
Plastic waste management in ASEAN's public and private sectors
Barriers to the responsible management of plastic in society are political as well as technical. A recent initiative to address this problem came from China, which had been the world's largest importer of waste for decades. China started banning the import of 24 types of plastics and other materials in January 2018, a move which led to increased awareness of the need for improved waste management systems – particularly in countries that depend heavily on the export of waste.
ASEAN has also seen an increase in governmental efforts to address plastic pollution. Some of the most common policies are levies and bans aimed at reducing the prevalence of single-use plastics. Malaysia's government has already banned plastic bags, plastic straws and polystyrene containers in some states (e.g., Selangor); while in Cambodia major supermarkets charge KHR 400 (0.10 US$) per plastic bag to reduce wasteful use. Indonesia and Myanmar have also banned plastic bags. In Vietnam, the government imposes an environment tax of VND 40,000 (1.76 US$) per kilogram of plastic bags. Singapore started banning plastics (e.g., plastic lids and straws) for dine-in customers at new hawker centres in 2018.
On the other hand, the Philippines, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Brunei Darussalam have not yet placed bans on plastic packaging. Instead, they have each launched campaigns aimed at encouraging the public to stop using disposable plastic bags in favour of recyclable alternatives.
In addition to reducing the use of plastics, ASEAN countries have made efforts to improve their solid waste management systems. Relevant policies have gone into effect across ASEAN, with the exception of Lao PDR, which plans to include waste management in its National Environment Strategy in 2020.
In partnership with the public sector, some private companies are already taking voluntary approaches to manage their packaging waste. Singapore in particular is a step ahead in encouraging producers to reduce packaging waste. In 2007, the Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) between the government, industry associations, NGOs, and private companies was first established. Its objectives are to reduce packaging waste, raise community awareness of packaging waste minimization, and introduce supply chain initiatives that foster sustainable packaging. By July 2018, 229 signatories (e.g., Nestle, Tetra Pak, and LHT Holdings) are reported to have reduced nearly 46,000 tons of packaging waste and saved over 100 million SGD (73 million US$) in the process.
Private companies in some ASEAN countries have taken a similar approach, cooperating and launching original environmental programs without formal encouragement from the government. For instance, 2017 saw the launch of the Packaging and Recycling Alliance for Indonesia Sustainable Environment (PRAISE), consisting of a group of private companies (e.g., Coca-Cola, Danone, and Unilever) in Indonesia. The Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS), a multi-sectoral coalition composed of top consumer goods companies (e.g., Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble), was also founded during the same year.
How stakeholders in ASEAN can take the initiative
Although many public and private entities are at last beginning to address the need for greater responsibility surrounding plastic consumption and waste, further action is urgently needed. All sectors of business and society, from governments to manufacturers, brand owners, and consumers, must do their part to solve this shared environmental problem in a cooperative way.
Several factors have thus far delayed the necessary changes, and one of these is regulatory. Regional governments need to provide strong support for responsible behaviour, by pushing through policies and regulations which promote effective and efficient practices across the entire packaging value chain.
By the same token, private companies in the region (e.g., brand owners) must honour their responsibility to incorporate sustainability within the complete packaging lifecycle. All relevant associated waste management procedures should be given priority – from design to manufacture and distribution, as well as collecting and recycling. Such practices will greatly enhance their public relations while also benefiting the environment.
ASEAN consumers have a key role to play as well. As one of the important stakeholders in the value chain, consumers can practice responsible purchasing and consumption patterns, taking care to recycle at every opportunity. Promoting sustainable consumption practices among consumers can thereby lead to a reduction in single-use packaging, while increasing waste segregation for efficient recycling.
History shows that collective goals can be met when widespread awareness meets a will to take action. Issues surrounding plastic manufacture, use and disposal offer excellent opportunities for leadership at every level of society. ASEAN stakeholders can deal with plastic waste issues by coordinating up and down the value chain, starting with optimizing their own practices for maximum sustainability.