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The plastics industry is huge. The combined revenue from the top 50 petrochemical firms in 2018 was US$927 billion. Photo: EPA
Opinion
Ceritalah
by Karim Raslan
Ceritalah
by Karim Raslan

‘Death by plastic’ for animals must spur Southeast Asia to tackle waste crisis

  • Singapore, South Korea and Japan are potential models, where waste is either incinerated in waste-to-energy power plants or recycled
  • It seems unlikely that we can do away with plastic, as petrochemical firms producing the materials are huge drivers of growth in the region

The animal is dead. It can be a fish, bird, mammal or reptile. An autopsy is conducted and inevitably reams of plastic are discovered in its stomach.

When I wake up every morning, I step into my bathroom and survey the shelves. There are rows of multicoloured plastic containers: toothpaste, hair conditioners, hand soap, creams and eye lotions. Since I’m always travelling, I also have stacks of those cheap, single-use shampoo sachets. Nowadays, I feel as if I’m a perpetrator and the killer of all those animals.

It’s easy to succumb to hopelessness due to the scale of it all. But let’s pause and get some perspective for a second.

Plastic is any synthetic or semi-synthetic organic polymer and typically produced from petrochemicals. And we’re talking about a lot more than single-use plastics.

According to the Society of the Plastics Industry, the majority of plastic produced and thrown away can be narrowed down to six categories.

Nepalese volunteers and schoolchildren tie up recycled plastic bags to make a sculpture. Photo: AFP

First: the plastic bottle. These are usually made out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a hard but flexible material. Polyesters – the wearable fabric – are a form of PET.

Second: high-density polyethylene (HPDE) is used to make sturdier objects that require a fixed structure – for example, auto parts, pallets, furniture, packaging detergents, bleach and milk containers.

Third: polyvinyl chloride (PVC). This is more ductile and durable. PVC’s resistance to fire and pressure makes it an ideal construction material used in piping, flooring and cables.

Fourth: low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is generally a thin, flexible plastic material used for plastic bags and most of our packaging.

Fifth: polypropylene (PP) is an extremely flexible and rubber-like plastic used in tubes and medical supplies. It is superior in terms of heat resistance, flexibility and transparency.

Sixth: polystyrene (PS) is a type of thermoplastic, which means it can be melted and reformed without going through a permanent chemical change. It is most often used in producing styrofoam.

Plastic waste for recycling in the Cipayung landfills in Depok, Indonesia. Photo: Handout

Surely we can recycle or do anyway with all these categories of plastic? Not necessarily, and this is where things get complicated.

Out of the six, only three can be recycled in Malaysia: PET, HPDE and PP. In Indonesia, only PET, HPDE and (to a lesser extent) LDPE are recycled. However, most Southeast Asians have all six categories in our homes.

Indeed, there is a big question mark over whether we can do away with plastic completely.

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The plastics industry is huge. The combined revenue from the top 50 petrochemical firms in 2018 was US$927 billion, far exceeding the refining industry’s US$400 billion. Moreover, the petrochemical industry is projected to grow by 10-15 per cent every year.

In East Asia, there are giants like LG, Toray, Formosa Plastics, Sinopec, Mitsubishi, PetroChina and LOTTE. Southeast Asia accounts for ⅓one-third of the top 50’s revenue, demonstrating strong growth in the region.

And all this plastic sure piles up. Bantar Gebang is Indonesia’s and Southeast Asia’s largest dumping site. Every day, about 7,000 tons of waste from the greater Jakarta metropolitan region enters the area.

Plastics constitute a large proportion of the waste but the painful truth is we cannot afford to simply stop producing plastic, nor are there feasible alternatives to allow us to easily function in our daily lives without it.

The real challenge is figuring out and then maintaining an effective and cost-effective waste management system.

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Indonesia, which throws an estimated 1.3 million tons of plastic into the ocean annually, has inadequate infrastructure and limited official commitment. Open dumping sites are not a good long-term solution given plastic’s immense durability. As a result, sites like Bantar Gebang are already close to full.

Singapore, South Korea and Japan are potential models, where waste is either incinerated in waste-to-energy power plants or recycled. These countries also have three factors in common.

A plastic bag hangs on the horns of a cow in New Delhi. Photo: EPA

They make it the responsibility of producers to produce easily recyclable packaging. They have a strong culture of promoting disciplined and responsible individual recycling. Finally, all three have good industrial capability in processing waste and recyclable material.

This is not to say we should solely depend on waste management. Where possible, we should reduce, reduce, reduce.

Countries can try and cut back on single-use plastic via measures such as bans and tariffs. Bali, for instance, has implemented the former since June 2019.

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Ultimately though, the public must demand change while also altering our own behaviour.

People form and inform governments, shape markets as well as affect demand.

The visceral reactions evoked by images of “death by plastic” should serve as a strong impetus for action. It is either that or we accept responsibility for the death of thousands, if not millions of animals.

Like it or not, plastic is here to stay. But there’s no reason we can’t also be conscientious in disposing of what remains through effective waste management systems.

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