Time for a world free of plastic waste, pollution

Plastic waste and pollution has become a global crisis, which we cannot afford to ignore any longer.

As plastic production sky-rocketed in the early 2000s, so did single-use plastic packaging, and as a result, mismanaged plastic waste.

Plastic’s high functionality and relative cheapness make it the ideal material for a wide range of products and it has become ubiquitous in our daily lives.

Many items we readily discard are made of plastic, which are only intended for single-use.

The world currently generates in excess of 300mn tonnes of plastic waste each year, without the capacity, infrastructure and collective willpower needed to sustainably manage it.

It’s no surprise then that 8mn tonnes of plastic waste flow into the ocean annually, while mismanaged waste remaining on land can trigger public health crises among vulnerable communities.

A harrowing statistic presented at the World Economic Forum shows that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.

While the above data point is often cited to elicit a sense of doom and gloom, it actually comes with a silver lining.

Many countries including those in Asia and the EU are pursuing continent-wide ban on single-use plastic (SUP).

There has been a surge in SUP legislation with some 127 countries imposing restrictions on non-biodegradable SUPs — such as the thickness of the plastic.

As many as 25,000 retail outlets across Thailand will stop providing single-use plastic bags from January 1 under the industry’s “Everyday Say No to Plastic Bags” campaign.

Starting January 1, Thai authorities will also ban the import, production and sale of health and beauty products containing plastic microbeads, which are commonly used in products such as facial scrubs, to stop the tiny particles from contaminating the environment, Nikkei Asian Review reported.

Some other Asian countries are also moving away from plastic packaging.

India has set a goal of eliminating disposable plastics by 2022, and at least 24 states have already banned or restricted their use.

In Indonesia, plastic bags have been banned from stores since January in Denpasar, Bali, a popular resort.

An Italian ski resort is endeavouring to become the first in Europe to ban plastic after discovering that a nearby glacier contained a significant amount of microplastics, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The use of plastic bottles, bags, cutlery, plates, straws, cups and condiment sachets was banned when the slopes opened at Pejo 3000, a small resort in Val di Sole, Trentino, in early December, and other measures will be enacted over the season.

To tackle plastic pollution, a global initiative was kicked in late last year.

The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) was created as a unified platform to turn promises and platitudes into concrete and swift action.

GPAP closely coordinates with governments, policymakers and the industry across borders and sectors and is reportedly close to completing a blueprint to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis in our oceans and communities.

It is time we all co-ordinated and work towards creating a world free of plastic waste and pollution.

Statistics show that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish