More than half of plastic waste is produced by five countries, including four in Southeast Asia due to a lack of regulation
More than half of plastic waste is produced by five countries, including four in Southeast Asia due to a lack of regulation
Each year we produce more than 500.000 million plastic bags and about a million bottles. It is estimated that around eight million plastic bags and bottles they end up in the oceans, with a very serious impact on biodiversity and, consequently, on our health.
According to a recent report from UNEP, the United Nations Environment Program, more than half of the plastic pollution in our oceans comes from just five countries, four of them in Southeast Asia. In addition to China, i major producers of plastic waste they are Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand
"Southeast Asia is a primary source and, at the same time, a victim of plastic: it is choking the seas, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods," said Kakuko Nagatani-Yoshida, UNEP regional coordinator.
I Southeast Asian countries produce more plastic waste than other areas due to the lack of rules and inefficient enforcement of single-use plastics policies.
In other states, such as Japan or the countries of the European Union, waste is managed in a more sustainable way thanks to a comprehensive approach to the life cycle of plastics and in the presence of national objectives that envisage the adoption of policies aimed at reducing the production of plastic and managing waste more efficiently.
UNEP stressed that the impact of this enormous pollution does not only concern the environment: plastic waste seriously damages the tourism, fishing and sea transport sectors and leads to an expenditure of over one million dollars per year. year for these regions.
The problem is obviously not limited only to the regions of Southeast Asia, but affects all countries globally.
For all these reasons, the UNEP report recommends Southeast Asian countries to strengthen policies aimed at limiting the production of plastic and waste.
"If we want to solve the marine litter problem around the world, we have to solve it in this region," concluded Nagatani-Yoshida.
Given the enormous consequences for marine animals, biodiversity and the health of all of us, we hope that UNEP's invitation will be accepted and that the countries that produce more plastic waste start implementing targeted policies to reduce the use of plastics and improve waste management.
Read also:
- 186 countries have signed a historic agreement to reduce plastic pollution
- Ocean pollution: in 2050 there will be more plastic than fish
- After iron and bronze, welcome to the worst of geological eras: that of plastic
