Three Percent Earth FoundationMar 5, 2023
The 3rd #UN Unwaste Trendspotting Alert Bulletin offers up a #plasticswaste 'movement' analysis summary for #ASEAN btwn 2017-2021. Here are some highlights,
1. #G7 and/or 'global north' nations were main exporters to #SEAsia, but also incl. #Thailand.
2. ~Three Mega tonnes (Mt) were exported from the #EU to ASEAN.
3. ~38% net decrease in exports from the #EU
4. Main ASEAN importers incl, #Malaysia #Vietnam and #Indonesia
5. #Germany #Belgium are top exporters to ASEAN
https://www.unodc.org/res/environment-climate/asia-pacific/unwaste_html/Unwaste_Trendspotting_Alert_No.3.pdf
Three Percent Earth FoundationJan 7, 2023
The 2022 #EPI categorical #WasteManagement #index gauges a country's self-awareness of threats from #solidwaste and #ocean #plasticswaste, and #recycling need. #Luxembourg ranks 1 w/an index=79.1. Here's how #ASEAN nations ranked and scored,
#Singapore 7, EPI=71.7
#Brunei 38, EPI=59.7
#Malaysia 84, EPI=33.8
#Indonesia 96, EPI=29.5
#Thailand 100, EPI=28.5
#Vietnam 111, EPI=25.6
#Philippines 116, EPI=23.4
#Lao PDR 130, EPI=16.4
#Cambodia 144, EPI=13.7
#Myanmar 167, EPI=8.2
https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/component/wmg
Waste Management | Environmental Performance Index

Three Percent Earth FoundationJan 5, 2023
#Oceanconservancy finds that #Thailand is one of 4 #ASEAN nations + #China responsible for 50% of #ocean #plasticswaste, which can come from land sources. In early-mid 2022 Thailand passed a law banning #singleuseplastics in all of its National Parks w/fines up to $3K USD for violators. Protecting the region's #wildlife is key to #biodiversity which is key to protecting #humanhealth; but is there the will AND resources for compliance/enforcement to be taken seriously?
https://www.thejakartapost.com/culture/2022/04/06/thai-national-parks-ban-single-use-plastics.html
Thai national parks ban single-use plastics

Thailand on Wednesday banned styrofoam packaging and single-use plastics from national parks as it fights a scourge of waste threatening wildlife.

The Jakarta Post
Three Percent Earth FoundationJan 5, 2023
#HCM, a city of 10 Mil ppl does not have a formal #recycling system, but generates nearly 10K tonnes of #municipal #SW per day. A ltd. group of emerging businesses operate to repurpose #plasticswaste into 'new' consumer items, #ISCs are not formally recognised by local govt., #landfill operations are expanded, but #WTE is an increasingly acceptable govt. option, and amended #environmentallaw is hampered by lack of compliance/enforcement. What's the solution? #SDG12, not.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/30/ho-chi-minh-citys-plastic-habit-leaves-piles-of-waste
Ho Chi Minh City’s plastic ‘habit’ leaves piles of waste

Small scale recycling is under way but most rubbish still ends up in landfills and waste-to-energy plans have stalled.

Al Jazeera
Three Percent Earth FoundationDec 22, 2022
In #Indonesia #artistic expression is a #cultural and #spiritual mainstay. Sadly, so to is #solidwaste #pollution. In 2019, 210 tonnes of waste shipment from #Brisbane to #Surabaya Port was the impetus for a mobilisation by Indonesian artists in #Australia to protest this action in the form of #art work made from #plasticswaste. Harnessing the power of #civilsociety & art to help fight #wastepollution. #plasticology #SDG16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcxiiztwVN4
https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/artists-environment-and-truth-telling-in-indonesia
https://aiya.org.au/2019/09/10/art-vs-pollution-indonesian-artists-taking-a-stand/
Workshop Plasticology by Made Bayak

YouTube
Three Percent Earth FoundationDec 11, 2022
Maddening, frustrating, then comes some form of capitulation. #Thailand generates millions of tonnes of #plasticspollution annually w/mismgmnt leading to ltd. traceable #plasticswaste #importation(??), and repeat #corporate #environmental violations poisoning rivers, and plantable soils w/nary a 'wrist slap.' #RuleofLaw and clarity of proper govt. legal/reg. purview w/out ministry #COI, or #corruption is what is required for effctv. #governance & #accountability. #SDG16
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/thailand-plastic-waste-import-problem-ocean-waterways-3132251
With locals not disposing of plastic correctly, Thailand is importing the world’s waste instead

A Thai temple that is going green. An NGO that fishes rubbish out of waterways before it reaches the ocean. These are part of efforts to shrink Thailand’s waste problem, the programme Insight finds out. But what else is needed?

CNA
Three Percent Earth FoundationDec 6, 2022
2nd only to #China as a #global source of #marine #plasticspollution, #Indonesia generates ~8 million tonnes of #plasticswaste per year (>50% mismanaged), while 13 intertwining rivers in #Jakarta incl. the #Cituram (world's most polluted) are filled w/ #solidwaste ~75% of which is #plastics. That's ~10g per capita, and adds up fast given the city's 10 million residents. This dubious distinction for city & nation further tarnishes the #ASEAN region.
https://www.eco-business.com/news/plastic-accounts-for-three-fourths-of-waste-choking-jakartas-rivers/
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/06/indonesia-should-take-a-leadership-role-in-the-global-plastics-treaty-commentary/
Plastic accounts for three-fourths of waste choking Jakarta's rivers

Most of the waste collected from the rivers and holding facilities in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, is plastic, new field-based research has found.

Eco-Business
Three Percent Earth FoundationNov 29, 2022
The 2020 #EPI score and rankings tabulation show that among #ASEAN nations only #Singapore and #Malaysia have effective #wastemanagement systems w/scores of 99.6 and 81.4, respectively. 8 other nations in the region score from below 50 to 0. What's peculiar is that according to #ourworldindata Malaysia's per capita rate of mismgnd. #plasticswaste is among the highest in #SEAsia (~60X that of the #LionCity nationstate) which doesn't exactly jibe w/an overall system of effective #solidwaste mgmnt.
Three Percent Earth FoundationNov 26, 2022
Here's a chart visualisation downloaded from #OxfordUniversity's #ourworldindata comparing per capita mismanaged #plasticswaste outcomes for #ASEAN nations with regional G7/G20 countries #China #India and #JPN. Some of what it shows,
1. High income nations #Singapore and #Brunei had 'lower' mismanagement levels similar to JPN
2. Of the 3 G20 nations #Indonesia fared better than either #China or #India
3. Low-to-Mid-income ASEAN nations dmnstrd. the highest relative levels of #plastics mismgmnt.