Asia Struggles With Continuing Waste Crisis

In Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, waste in landfills has more than doubled. (Needpix)

New reports reveal a continuing waste crisis in Asia. Global trade in tire waste has nearly doubled since 2015, according to Reuters. In the last ten years, the amount of waste in landfills across Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital, has more than doubled, according to a UN report. In addition, a team of scientists working on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean found that 75 percent of the bottles that washed ashore were from Asia, according to BBC.

In late 2018, the World Bank released a report claiming that global waste will increase by 70 percent by 2050. This statistic is largely based on the probability of rapid urbanization and population growth, which are both expected in Asia. The report detailed that the East Asia and Pacific region is currently responsible for generating 23 percent of waste worldwide.

Asia also contributes to the global waste crisis by purchasing waste from wealthier countries. For example, in the tire industry, shipping tire waste abroad is cheaper than domestic recycling for developed countries. This dynamic is a key contributor to the global rubber waste trade, which amounted to almost two million tons, or the equivalent of 200 million tires, in 2018.

In developing countries such as Malaysia and India, people often burn these tires to make cheap, low- quality fuel. This process, known as pyrolysis, can release toxic chemicals and gases into the air, which can cause health issues. Reuters reported that a mass poisoning in southern Malaysia earlier this year could have been caused by the tire-burning process.

Several major waste-exporting countries have acknowledged the environmental and health impacts of pyrolysis. A spokesman for the Australian official monitoring waste reduction noted that Australia did not want “to be part of such practices” but did not provide concrete details of when and how to implement a ban.

Similar issues occur all over Asia. BBC reports that plastic waste now mainly comes from Asia rather than South America. Various countries have attempted to enact policy to combat the increasing waste. “It makes economic sense to properly manage waste. Uncontrolled waste has significant health and environmental impacts,” said Silpa Kaza, a World Bank specialist in urban development.

Cambodia recently partnered with the Chemical and Waste Management Program to promote a coordinated implementation of various international environmental agreements, as stated in a UN report. Cambodia also plans to enact a nationwide education campaign on chemical safety.

China, a huge polluter in Asia, has tried various waste management methods. The country recently announced that the city of Tianjin is attempting to go waste-free, according to Straits Times.

However, waste management comes with a downside. Many Asians are losing their jobs due to the limit of certain waste practices. “The people protested the reduction of imports, they will suffer because they don’t have additional income,” said Daru Setyo Rini, a member of the Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation, according to the Asia Sentinel.