Dealing with Plastic Waste
Plastic pollution is a critical global environmental issue. Microplastics have been detected across land, sea, air and within the human body. According to UNEP data from 2021, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced annually, with only an estimated 12% of it incinerated and only 9% recycled. The remainder has either been disposed of in landfills or released into the environment, including the ocean. In 2022, the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted Resolution 5/14 to initiate negotiations for a legally binding treaty addressing the full lifecycle of plastic. The fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in 2024 did not reach consensus on binding targets and financing mechanisms. A follow-up session, INC-5.2, is scheduled to take place in Geneva in August 2025.
While Southeast Asia and Europe each generate more than 30 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, they have different priorities to tackling plastic waste, largely due to their varying development stages. In Southeast Asia, economic growth, rapid consumption and inadequate recycling infrastructure highlight the need for financial and technological support. Regional cooperative efforts include the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris (2019) and the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Combating Marine Debris (2021), as well as the 2024 ASEAN Declaration on Plastic Circularity. Europe’s established waste management systems and policies, such as the EU Plastics Strategy and Single-Use Directive, promote a comprehensive lifecycle approach and enforcement measures like extended producer responsibility. There has been growing cooperation between Asia and Europe, such as the EU’s Rethinking Plastics campaign which supported circular economy pilot projects in Asia and UNDOC’s UNWASTE project. In 2023, the EU announced a ban on exporting plastic waste to non-OECD countries starting in mid-2026.
In support of global efforts and as part of its mission to promote mutual understanding between Asia and Europe, ASEF is convening the ASEF Workshop for Journalists on “Challenges of Dealing with Plastic Waste”, from 19 to 22 May 2025 in Singapore for 22 journalists from Asia and Europe. The workshop seeks to facilitate a deeper understanding among journalists of the challenges and responses to managing plastic waste, who can in turn communicate it to the public. The workshop will explore topics such as circularity, full life cycle approach, innovation in plastic waste management and capacity-building and technical assistance. Follow the workshop updates for expert insights and behind-the-scenes stories on efforts to address plastic pollution in this link.
Sources:
EEAS, 29 July 2021, ‘EU and ASEAN promote vital technologies for plastic waste management’, EEAS
European Commission, 16 January 2018, ‘Plastic Strategy’, European Commission
European Commission, May 2019, ‘Plastic waste shipments’ European Commission
Marcus Lu, 12 June 2024, ‘Ranked: Top 20 Countries by Plastic Waste per Capita’, Visual Capitalistv
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