Study Cautions on Plastic Waste Surge in East Asia
(MENAFN) A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has cautioned that environmental plastic pollution across Southeast Asian nations—along with China, Japan, and South Korea—could rise by almost 70% unless more robust strategies are adopted to mitigate the crisis.
According to the Regional Plastics Outlook report, "driven by rising incomes and living standards, plastics use in the region is projected to almost double in the absence of more ambitious policies," referencing a comparison to data from 2022.
The analysis emphasizes the potential scale of the issue if existing efforts remain insufficient.
The member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are particularly vulnerable, with the report stating they are "expected to see a near tripling" in plastic consumption.
This dramatic increase places the region at the epicenter of an escalating waste problem.
In addition to the spike in plastic usage, the volume of plastic refuse is also anticipated to more than double.
The report estimates that plastic leakage into the environment will climb by 68%, with a significant share stemming from ASEAN countries with lower-middle income levels and from China.
Labeling the region a "hotspot for plastic pollution," the OECD highlighted that 8.4 million tons of poorly managed plastic waste entered the environment in 2022 alone.
The total volume of plastic waste in the area soared from 10 million tons in 1990 to an alarming 113 million tons by 2022.
The report also criticized ongoing "informal and unsafe practices, such as open burning and dumping," which remain common across most ASEAN countries and China, especially in rural locations.
These unsafe methods further exacerbate the ecological threat.
Plastic waste presents a critical environmental hazard, contaminating aquatic ecosystems and threatening both animal and human health.
As microplastics infiltrate food chains and bodies, the urgency for effective interventions becomes increasingly evident.
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