Circular Economy Battle: How Southeast Asia and South Asia Can Reverse Plastic Pollution?

Southeast Asia is widely recognized as a hotspot for plastic pollution. One of the main reasons is the lack of recycling infrastructure in the region to manage the large amount of waste imported from developed countries. A study in 2023 showed that Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam are among the top 10 countries with the highest levels of plastic mismanagement globally, where plastics are either incinerated or sent to landfills instead of being recycled. These countries alone produce over 1.5 million tons of poorly managed plastics annually. To address this issue, Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam have implemented restrictions on the import of waste from Western countries and adopted a comprehensive framework to encourage sustainable consumption and recycling practices.

However, despite South Asia being an economically diversified region with each country having its own unique circular economy approach, the region as a whole has been slow to accept these principles. If there is no coordinated effort to reduce pollution throughout South Asia, the emissions from the South Asian subcontinent could account for 19% of the global total emissions allowed under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Urgent need to recycle infrastructure

The 2020 SEA Circular report found that 46% of South Asian consumers believe that improving garbage collection is crucial for reducing plastic waste, while 44% of consumers consider limited recycling bins to be the main obstacle to recycling, highlighting the need to strengthen recycling infrastructure.

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, only half of the 5000 metric tons of waste generated each day are properly managed due to the city's inadequate waste collection and management system. As a result, the city's recycling rate was only 15.7% in 2022, exacerbating the climate crisis. In fact, if all poorly managed plastic waste in South Asia could be effectively recycled, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 229 million tons.

The Bangladesh factory will commence operations in September 2023 and officially open in February 2024. This new factory enables Mainetti to supply an additional 35 million Polyloop bags, reducing retailers' carbon emissions by 10% to 45%, while doubling production in the past six months and saving 876000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The Environmental Protection Division of Omesun Intelligent Equipment Co., Ltd. has introduced European technology with over 60 years of experience in crushing solid waste, taking into account the characteristics of domestic solid waste. After 19 years, it has successively developed single axis, double axis, double single axis, four axis, and coarse crushers, which have been widely used in solid waste fields such as household waste, industrial waste, papermaking solid waste, medical waste, large waste, kitchen waste, and plastic recycling. The company is committed to the design and manufacturing of complete sets of equipment for solid alternative fuel SRF/RDF projects, achieving the integration and intelligent transformation of solid waste environmental protection equipment, and contributing to the harmless, resourceful, and industrialized treatment of garbage!

Progress is imminent

Several countries in Southeast Asia already have well functioning waste management systems. Research shows that in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, 89% of household waste is collected at least once a week.

The Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government plans to establish six waste to energy plants nationwide by 2025. Faced with challenges in technology, labor, and infrastructure, this will reduce reliance on landfills.

Similarly, Singapore has also introduced infrastructure to promote the adoption of circular economy principles. The National Recycling Program (NRP) provides recycling bins for all households and regularly collects recyclable waste. This measure helped Singapore's recycling rate increase from 40% in 2000 to 51.7% in 2022.

However, as Singapore approaches its 2030 goals, the country still faces low consumer engagement, highlighting the crucial role that individuals must play in achieving a truly circular economy.

Consumer awareness is crucial

Despite Singapore's increasing recycling rate, consumer education remains a significant obstacle to further success. In 2022, the National Environment Agency reported that 40% of the materials in Singapore's recycling bins cannot be recycled because they are contaminated with non recyclable items such as food and liquid waste. This indicates the need to change consumers' awareness and behavior.

The SEA Circular report shows that in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, only 54% of consumers participate in recycling, and only 33% of consumers consider sustainability when making purchasing decisions. Despite a lack of action, 91% of consumers express deep concerns about the impact of plastic on the environment and believe that more education should be provided on this issue.

Social change is crucial for accelerating the transition towards widespread recycling in South Asia, and people have increased their publicity efforts to raise awareness of the importance of recycling. The SEA Circular report emphasizes this point, showing that 64% of consumers would be more inclined to recycle if people around them did the same. In order to further raise people's awareness of the circular economy and expand Singapore's recycling channels, the National Environment Agency has launched the "Correct Recycling" campaign to draw on the country's successful experience and provide free recycling bins for households, known as Bloobox. Similarly, the Philippine government has also launched various incentive programs. For example, in 2021, the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Pasig City collaborated with the non-profit organization Plastic Credit Exchange to launch a garbage to cash program called Aling Tindera, and established 19 collection centers throughout the city.

Consumers in high-income countries are often motivated by educational activities that emphasize the importance of environmental protection. These activities have cultivated the determination to combat global warming and encouraged people to develop the habit of recycling. However, more efforts are needed to democratize access to sustainable development information, make it widely accessible, and promote broader social change.

Enterprises must transform their business models with a focus on sustainable development

SEA Circular emphasizes that companies need to increase their efforts to reduce plastic waste. Although 82% of companies express serious concerns about plastic pollution, only 48% of companies are satisfied with current sustainable development practices. In addition, less than 45% of the countries evaluated prioritize recycling and reuse plans. In order to increase consumer engagement and recycling rates, companies can implement various strategies. For example, a study in 2023 found that with clearer guidance, 37% of consumers would be more inclined to recycle. The Circular Economy Labeling or Information Program (CELIS) aims to standardize labeling, certification, and information programs to encourage the adoption of better environmental practices across the board.

In addition, although there are many non-profit organizations in Southeast Asia, such as the Indonesian Packaging Recycling Organization (IPRO) dedicated to increasing recycling rates in Indonesia, over half of the companies evaluated in the 2020 Southeast Asia Recycling Report have not collaborated with these organizations. This highlights the necessity for the government and consumers to reduce packaging waste, as well as the crucial role that businesses must play in addressing this issue.

All countries in the region must work together to overcome the challenges that hinder South Asia and Southeast Asia from achieving a fully circular economy. Governments of all countries must establish strong national recycling infrastructure, consumers must align their behavior with values by appropriately recycling purchased items, and businesses must adopt sustainable practices to drive industry wide change. By making these adjustments, South Asia can lead the development of a circular economy and create a more sustainable and secure future for everyone.

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Design of Solid Waste Crushing Scheme and Equipment Manufacturing

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Automated crushing, sorting and processing system for large garbage

Large garbage automatic crushing and sorting system

Pre treatment system for energy utilization of papermaking waste residue

Pretreatment system for energy utilization of paper waste residue

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General industrial solid waste SRF/RDF solid alternative fuel intelligent treatment system

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