26/02/2023
The message that's missed in this image is the topic of waste colonialism. It's not just some "woke" term but a reality of the waste problem that needs to be communicated.
If you go into the article behind the visual (here: https://lnkd.in/g8eBEVeU), it points out 2 key things about waste pollution flows that we need to talk about when going
(1) Many high-income countries generate high amounts of plastic waste, but are either better at processing it or exporting it to other countries.
(2) Many of the middle-income and low-income countries are on the receiving end of waste exports and may not have developed the infrastructure needed to process it.
On #1, the idea of exporting waste leaves responsibility at the borders of poorer nations. In 2019, Malaysia refused to be the "world's waste bin" and sent back plastic scrap imported illegally from several countries, including Singapore and Bangladesh. (Read: https://lnkd.in/g-urZ_GM)
On #2, as articulated by Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez in their Eco-Business article, "Waste colonialism is not just about rich countries shipping their trash to poorer nations in the guise of recyclable waste. It is also about multinational companies using single-use plastics for packaging their products, leaving consumers in the developing world to bear the cost of managing their waste. " (Read: https://lnkd.in/gkvDmVH9)
It's undeniable that plastic sachets are prominent in places like the Philippines due to its affordability and sometimes necessity in times of crises.
It's difficult to ask of the individual, especially in financially precarious communities, to avoid plastic. The key responsibility is in regulation and proper implementation of an extended producer responsibility.
At a corporate level, consumer-facing recycling drives and zero-waste efforts should start to provide greater transparency of where the waste actually ends up. This is also crucial as Singapore begins the first phase of our rather lenient policy on packaging.
As Singapore embarks on our zero-waste mission, it's crucial to consider the socioeconomic implications of tackling behavior change. More investment and regulations are required to drive the change we so desperately need to see.
LinkedIn News Asia
